NJPW: How Should Shinsuke Nakamura’s Final Run End?
By Jay Sichler
With reports stating that Shinsuke Nakamura is leaving NJPW, how should his last run be booked?
Huge rumors surfaced yesterday as it seems that Shinsuke Nakamura 12-year run in NJPW is finally coming to an end. Reports from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling News) state that Nakamura along with Bullet Club Members AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows are heading to WWE.
However, after his 5 star match with AJ Styles at Wrestle Kingdom 10, Nakamura remains as the IWGP Intercontinental Champion. Though nothing has been confirmed it would seem that Nakamura will remain with NJPW until at least Feb. so the company can get the belt off of him, before he starts with WWE.
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It seems logical that Nakamura will drop the Intercontinental Championship at one of the New Beginning Events next month. The question though is who Nakamura should drop the Championship to? Originally when I began this article my thinking was the perfect guy would be Tetsuya Naito.
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Over the last 6 months, Naito has completely reinvented himself. He went to a forgettable member of the NJPW, to one of the best heels and characters in all of wrestling. Naito now leading Los Ingobernables seems to have a gimmick and group that will help make him one of the top stars in NJPW in 2016. However, after the events last night at the New Year Dash at Korakuen Hall a new name should take Shinsuke Nakamura’s belt, Kenny Omega.
Last night in a tag match Kenny Omega (with AJ Styles as his partner) pinned Nakamura in the middle of the ring. Omega after the match then declared that he was now entering the Heavyweight division and would be taking Nakamura’s championship.
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With Omega now leading Bullet Club, having him win the Intercontinental Championship would help accomplish two major things. The first is it would help keep Bullet Club looking strong. With the group on the cusp of losing Styles, Anderson and Gallows to WWE, having Omega win the belt would should that even losing three big stars Bullet Club is still dominant as ever.
The second thing it does is help the heavyweight roster gain another huge star. With Styles and Nakamura both leaving their is a void on top. Omega winning the Intercontinental Championship would help add another star to the division and could help set up new feuds with the likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada and Hirooki Goto.
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With NJPW about to lose Shinsuke Nakamura, and AJ Styles they should begin right away to look for their replacements on the top of the roster. Having Kenny Omega win the Intercontinental Championship from him would accomplish this and would help show that The Bullet Club is still a dominant force in NJPW.