WWE SmackDown Live remains in limbo, and Shinsuke Nakamura may be their only hope. But not in the way that they think…
Hell in a Cell will see Shinsuke Nakamura get his second shot at Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship. Many of us hope to see ‘The King of Strong Style’ walk out victorious, but we have to be careful what we wish for.
True Nakamura fans will be wary of the situation Shinsuke is walking into, as SmackDown struggles to redefine its identity. Jinder Mahal has made a reasonable scapegoat for the brand’s woes as of late, but putting the belt on Shinsuke won’t change things completely. WWE need a concrete plan for the Japanese Superstar going forward. I fear however, that they may already be out of ideas.
I am not an advocate for the ‘he’s not working, flip him’ mentality. Character consistency is key to crafting long-term storylines, but Nakamura has not been a game-changing babyface. The ‘fighting spirit’ that elevates so many Japanese wrestlers isn’t as prevalent in WWE, and Nakamura is in trouble of looking like so many other current good-guys: all style, no substance.
Nakamura deserves a better fate, so he should take the heel route. Here’s why…
A Rough Start
Nakamura is no stranger to rocky beginnings in the WWE system. Pulling out a match-of-the-year candidate in his first NXT match set the bar astronomically high. It was then the task of Shinsuke and his developmental supporting-cast to maintain that momentum; a task that ultimately proved too difficult.
His only legitimate opponents following his classic with Sami Zayn were Austin Aries, Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode – none of whom could recreate the magic that Zayn contributed to in his final NXT outing. It should be no surprise then that Nakamura stuttered on the main roster too.
The electricity of his debut soon dissipated due mostly to backwards booking. Shinsuke was ushered into lengthy feuds with Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin that cooled him off almost entirely. Then, in the matter of a month, Shinsuke earned a SummerSlam main event and two clean victories over John Cena and Randy Orton.
Essentially, WWE let the hype-train die, then kickstarted it so fast no one could really get on board. Now, Shinsuke is supposedly a bonafide main-eventer and future WWE Champion. If WWE plan to continue pushing the Japanese Superstar, they need focused story-telling. My worry is that a month into Shinsuke’s reign, WWE will become unhappy that he isn’t drawing numbers. They’ll then hastily flip him from babyface to heel because they don’t know what else to do. Nakamura could be a dominant villain, but his character development needs to be carefully planned, unlike the convoluted first chapter of his WWE career. Have him defeat Mahal, and then slowly begin to unveil his dark side.
WWE.com
Going Over Jinder
Most of us hope that Hell in a Cell will signal the end of ‘The Jinder Experiment.’ His improvement as a competitor has not been great enough to warrant his WWE Championship reign, and it’s time to pack it in. Nakamura looks primed to wake us from this nightmare, but are any of us really thinking beyond Jinder?
Having such a bland WWE Champion has taken the wind out of SmackDown’s sails. The burden of righting the ship is a heavy one, and could crush a Superstar not in position to carry the load. As I stated previously, Nakamura’s rise has been so backward that he is not in position to lead the blue brand. Fans don’t seem to know how to connect to him beyond his entrance theme.
Toppling Jinder Mahal is not the victory Superstars envision when they fantasize about their first World Title win. Fans will certainly be relieved if Nakamura leaves Hell in a Cell as WWE Champion, but relief is not the emotion you want to build a title reign on.
There may be no way around it, but turning heel early in Nakamura’s first reign would at least help us forget that he won the belt from the least-improved 3MB member.
credit: wwe.com
A ‘Strong Style’ Champion
WWE’s presentation of Japanese imports has been stellar in recent years. Nakamura, Asuka and Kairi Sane are all getting the rewards that come with being true, international Superstars.
However, being a world-renowned wrestler should mean you bring the same character (or the same brand) to the WWE as you displayed outside of it. In fairness, WWE haven’t changed much about Nakamura, and even adopted his ‘Strong Style’ moniker despite having little to do with it.
That said, Nakamura could do much more to tap into the strong style that made him famous. WWE won’t want him putting his knee through peoples’ skulls, but he could crank up the aggression as a catalyst for a heel turn. All of his cocky mannerisms could easily be in the repertoire of an arrogant heel, and while he was beloved in his native Japan, he had no problem being the second-most popular guy in the ring. Bending the rules, braggadocios taunting, and some straightforward butchery make an enticing recipe for Nakamura as a heel.
Having a dominant, violent WWE Champion would also be the best way to forget about the tame one we currently have.
Source: WWE.com
Crafting The Rematch
SmackDown Live currently lacks an end goal.
Jinder Mahal’s reign as WWE Champion has turned the brand upside down. The most important feud going on is between a recent Raw import and the General Manager. That’s not a sustainable way to produce their show, and with WrestleMania season slowly bearing down, SmackDown needs to refocus its efforts at the top of the card.
Nakamura being WWE Champion won’t solve all their problems, but it is a start. Where they really need to look is to his first marquee challenger. Most of my fellow New Japan fanboys agree that Nakamura/Styles is a money-feud, and if WWE can get on board, they have a chance to do something special.
Most fans are resigned to the idea that WrestleMania 34 will be headlined by a Lesnar/Reigns rematch. That leaves WWE with a golden opportunity to placate all the fans that will be irked by their rechristening of Reigns: a double main-event. One for the casuals, one for the ultras. A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura II; from the Tokyo Dome to the Superdome.
To truly sanatize this match for Western audiences, it would be better to have a well-defined face/heel dynamic. Their NJPW encounter had Styles as the Bullet Club’s villainous Ace, but in Western audiences’ eyes, he’s the plucky Southern underdog with a point to prove on the grand stage. Styles could win the Royal Rumble and face the final test of a dominant WWE Champion in Nakamura. To truly craft their story, Nakamura should be in his fully-evolved form. WWE could play up Shinsuke’s MMA background, and make him seem overwhelmingly dangerous.
Next: Who Is The Greatest Superstar To Never Be World Champion?
The American Hero. The Foreign Bad Guy. It’s a tale as old as time in wrestling, and may be our best shot at seeing Nakamura vs Styles on the grandest stage of them all.