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WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura has evolved manifold over the past decade, from being an obscure Japanese name to establishing himself in the annals of pro-wrestling. His "Strong Style" has won him fans from all over the world and his immense in-ring talent has him "lording" over the WWE roster.
Recently, he was victorious at the Royal Rumble after eliminating Roman Reigns and wasted no time in claiming a shot at A.J. Styles's title. But did you know of his exploits before he was lucky enough to make it in the WWE? He has some high profile matches to his name in his pre-WWE days. Here are five of them:
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kevin Steen
One of the most highfalutin matchups ever to grace the marquee of professional wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura locked horns with Kevin Owens (wrestling under the moniker of Kevin Steen, his real name) in 2014.
Two of the current hot properties of the World Wrestling Entertainment crossed paths at War of the Worlds, a collaborative effort of Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Nakamura was NJPW’s flag-bearer while Steen hailed from the Ring of Honor oeuvre.
This dream match lived up to all the hype it generated and was a tug-of-war as both men executed their game styles to near perfection: Nakamura was at the prime of his strong style, while Steen effectively used his repertoire as a hard-hitter.
One of the highlights (speaking from personal opinion) was the involvement of the crowd as both men were equally lauded for their efforts. There was never a dull moment in the game as both competitors used the “evade and attack” principle to get the advantage going.
The match lasted about a quarter of an hour and it ended with a brutal bomaye to Steen and with Nakamura picking up the win.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura v/s Kurt Angle
The clash between two technically gifted athletes had hitherto not had the same fervour and madness!
Kurt Angle, the technical wizard, who at that point in time, was the IWGP Champion, clasped fists with the NJPW recognized Champion, Nakamura (in a title unification match). As anticipated, the match was akin to a long, yet interesting game of tennis, with both men using submission holds to gain the upper hand.
There were moments where Angle's ankle lock proved futile for Nakamura, who would easily reverse the effect; while there were spurts of brilliance by Nakamura which were easily absorbed and negated by the Olympic gold-medalist.
As opposed to the usual hard-hitting form of combat, this match was more of a battle of wits and involved proper wrestling holds. If you're someone who enjoys a good 'wrestling' match, this is the ultimate "go to". The match came to an end when Nakamura brilliantly inverted an ankle-lock into an armbar, forcing Angle to tap out.
Personal PoV: This match was easily one of the best pro-wrestling matches in Nakamura's list.
#3 Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi
What happens when two men, with similar fighting styles, collide at the grandest stage of New Japan Pro Wrestling? Devastation.
Nakamura bumped heads with Kota Ibushi, defending the IWGP Intercontinental Title at Wrestle Kingdom 9 in a highly anticipated main-event match! For the most part, Ibushi tried to ridicule Nakamura’s Strong-style and “borrowed” some of his moves including the corner vibration boot, the bomaye strike and even the reverse powerslam.
This infuriated Nakamura who retaliated by mixing a variety of knee-based strikes to turn the game in his favour. Nakamura then proceeded to mock Ibushi by stealing some of his moves including an elevated sit-out powerbomb, a standing corkscrew moonsault and a double stomp to the chest!
The match-up had all the right ingredients to enthrall the 38,000 fans in attendance at the Tokyo Dome. The finishing sequence included Ibushi suplexing the champion from the apron, to which Nakamura kicked out.
Nakamura got out of Ibushi’s bomaye, turning it into a landslide and then proceeded to administer a bomaye of his own. Nakamura retained the title after sweating it out for 20 minutes and 12 seconds.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura vs Adam Cole
Adam Cole “shocked the system” a few weeks ago at the Royal Rumble match (entering at number 23), much to the delight of the fans; but just to refresh your memory, he even had a stellar match against Shinsuke Nakamura, three years ago. It was Ring of Honor where both men fought against each other in a match of high proportions.
It was one of those matches where the two men literally narrated a story, using their bodies. Cole was in his element while Nakamura, in his familiar fashion, used the combination of in-ring technicality and hard hitting to put forth a great show.
This match had everything, right from high-flying manoeuvres to long submission holds, staying true to everything that Ring of Honor swears by! The victor was Nakamura, again, but Adam Cole didn’t go down without a fight.
#1 Shinsuke Nakamura vs Karl Anderson
The rivalry between Nakamura and Karl “The Machine Gun” Anderson was a fairly interesting one; spanning three years, until Nakamura’s diaspora for greener pastures (WWE, in short).
In 2012 at New Japan Cup, both men put up a great show that boasted of perfect synergy and sportsmanship. Nakamura started off strong and landed a kimura submission that Anderson successfully overturned.
From that point onward, the game shifted massively in favour of Anderson, who exposed Nakamura’s left knee and took advantage of it. Nevertheless, there were moments when Nakamura seemed on top of his game despite the visible incapacitation.
A brutal exchange of strikes ensued when both men were back on their feet after instances of “power shifts”, which finally reached a climax when Nakamura’s bomaye was averted by Anderson who turned it into an Ace Crusher to pick up the win.
Personal opinion: Anderson is a skilled competitor who shouldn’t be jobbing!
