Can Shinsuke Nakamura Be WWE SmackDown Live’s Top Babyface?

With WWE’s ‘Superstar Shake Up’ and John Cena taking some time off, can Shinsuke Nakamura step up and become SmackDown Live’s top baby face?

As we saw after WrestleMania, Shinsuke Nakamura made his official debut on the main roster joining SmackDown Live. It was quite the surprise for many fans, but absolutely a welcome one and SmackDown Live feels like the right place for him. With the Superstar Shake Up the brand lost some big names but it also gained some, this leaves the playing field wide open. Jinder Mahal is now the Number One Contender for the WWE World Title, anything is possible.

With Kevin Owens busy with both Chris Jericho and A.J. Styles while he acts as the face of America with the U.S. Title, the time is perfect to start building up Nakamura away from the title picture. He is the right person to help build up the mid-card and upper mid-card divisions, while getting introduced to the masses who may not have seen him prior to his call up. There are many people for him to have matches against and feud with, with Dolph Ziggler looking to be the first one.

During the coming months leading to SummerSlam, Nakamura should become a staple for the blue brand, and by this time he should really be a step away from the main event picture. He is the right person to become SmackDown‘s big babyface, and if rumors — according to Billi Bhatti of Sportskeeda — are true that the company is looking to have A.J. Styles vs. Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 we should see quite the build up for him this year.

SmackDown Live is the land of opportunity, and the options for Nakamura are endless and there are so many people he could face in the coming months, it is an exciting prospect. He certainly will help fill the void left by the likes of John Cena and Bray Wyatt, not only that but he can help talent and they can help him. His entrance is a spectacle in itself, he is exciting to see and watch and he will no doubt become the must-see thing on Tuesday nights.

There is work for him to do as the format for the two main shows is not like what happens at NXT, and Triple H did make mention that it will be a transition for Nakamura as he gets used to live, weekly television. Already we can see from his appearances he is adjusting and he knows exactly how to work the crowd, he has become a WWE-styled worker without losing his edge and what makes him so special.

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It is an exciting time in the WWE landscape, and Nakamura is definitely one of those factors helping to shake things up. There will no doubt be title opportunities in his near future, as he gets built up on the brand. Already he feels like an important name and in no time he will be the face of SmackDown Live.