WWE SmackDown Power Rankings: Shinsuke Nakamura One Step Away

4. Samoa Joe

One of the most chilling moments of 2017 in WWE came when Samoa Joe quietly told Paul Heyman that something very bad was about to happen to him, before choking the life out of Brock Lesnar’s “advocate”.

Samoa Joe brings the type of intensity to the microphone that few can even dream of, and I really can’t wait until he starts kicking into high gear in SmackDown Live’s main event scene. For the most part, we’ve just been hearing him talk, and while that’s a treat, it will be even more rewarding to watch him and Daniel Bryan come full circle when they face off next week with a Money in the Bank spot on the line.

3. Shinsuke Nakamura

After trying to keep things close to the vest and even joking that his match with AJ Styles at Money in the Bank would be a pillow fight, Shinsuke Nakamura finally revealed that he wants the WWE Championship bout to be a Last Man Standing match. This will add a fresh layer to a storied rivalry, and if the match fulfills its potential as one of the most hard-hitting affairs in recent memory, it will make all the fans who complained about the finish at Backlash (or really anything else about this feud) calm down immediately.

There are worries that Nakamura could be “ruined” or whatever, but someone as talented as he is will never be “ruined”. He’s brilliant as a heel, and he’s one step away from being the WWE Champion. I am firmly in his corner and believe he will pull off the win at Money in the Bank. But even if he doesn’t, his character work has been absolutely A+ since turning heel at WrestleMania 34. He’s fine.