WWE Backlash 2018: 3 Reasons Why Shinsuke Nakamura Should Win

1. Nakamura’s character needs this

When WWE called Nakamura up last year, the creative team (read: Vince McMahon) undertook some unnecessary retooling of the character. They packaged him as a two-dimensional character, labeling him an “artist” and a “rockstar” because Vince probably looked at Nakamura and typecasted him as a Michael Jackson cosplayer. It was more about mannerisms and the cool entrance than it was the workrate or the character development. It was the beginning of the end of Nakamura as a babyface.

Then, Vince and the writers decided to sacrifice Nakamura to bolster Jinder Mahal’s inexplicable main event push. Nakamura then played a largely meaningless role in the Shane McMahon/Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn saga. Basically, the company did nothing with Nakamura until the Royal Rumble. Even afterward, they struggled to heat him up for WrestleMania. The bookers can’t make the same mistakes now that he’s a heel.

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If Nakamura doesn’t win the title from Styles, he may be done as a viable character. He would fade into the 50/50, midcard treadmill, and he’s too talented for that. Styles can easily recover from a loss, but for Nakamura–a character that’s already damaged–it would eliminate any staying power he did or could have at the top of the card. He would become just another guy, which would be a waste of Nakamura. Which is why he needs to become “the guy” on SmackDown and win the company’s most prestigious championship.