What's the story?
As seen on NXT this week, Shinsuke Nakamura's in-ring return has been announced for next week's edition of the show. Nakamura has been out of action following a knee injury angle back at NXT Takeover: San Antonio which saw him lose his NXT Championship to Bobby Roode.
In case you didn't know...
NXT have been providing medical updates for Nakamura over the last few weeks ever since his knee was supposedly injured at the hands of Bobby Roode. Many fans originally thought that this was a way in which WWE could get Nakamura onto the main roster and away from NXT, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
The heart of the matter
As reported in this week's update regarding Shinsuke, he will indeed be returning to NXT next week for what is believed to be an actual in-ring match. As of yet, it's unclear whether or not he'll resume his feud with Bobby Roode, as the champion is currently scheduled to face Kassius Ohno for the title in two weeks meanwhile Nakamura will likely have a tune up match for his return.
What's next?
With NXT Takeover: Orlando just around the corner, it's time for the brand to start setting up the big matches for the show. The NXT template over the last year or so would suggest that the King of Strong Style will challenge Roode for the championship in a rematch at the event, but there are still a lot of factors to consider.
Sportskeeda's take
Any news featuring Nakamura being back in the ring is fine with us. The Japanese star may have cooled off slightly since his debut last year in Dallas, but there's still so much potential in him as a top star up on the main roster.
It seems likely that this'll be his last Takeover as an appearance on Raw or SmackDown is long overdue. Given the respective star power on both shows, SmackDown Live seems like the logical route for him, but WWE could always throw us yet another curveball.
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