Daily DDT
Fansided

Shinsuke Nakamura on his struggles adjusting to WWE

By Christopher Jeter

TOKYO,JAPAN - JUNE 28: Shinsuke Nakamura enters the ring during the WWE Live Tokyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan on June 28, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
TOKYO,JAPAN - JUNE 28: Shinsuke Nakamura enters the ring during the WWE Live Tokyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan on June 28, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Since joining WWE’s main roster in 2017, Shinsuke Nakamura’s run with the company can be generously described as “uneven”.

Yes, the New Japan Pro Wrestling legend has enjoyed a fair bit of success since making his way over the United States — winning the NXT Championship, United States Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and the 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble — but given his immense success in Japan his time in WWE has felt like a letdown in a lot of ways (and to be clear, much of that isn’t his fault).

Shinsuke Nakamura discusses his challenges when it comes to wrestling in WWE.

Appearing on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast, Nakamura talked about him struggling to adjust to performing in WWE (h/t to Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert for the transcription):

"“I’m still struggling in wrestling. Coming to US and coming to WWE is challenging. I came to challenge myself. That’s why I’m here. I’m waiting to find my timing and my moment. I don’t pitch ideas to [Vince McMahon] a lot. We talk after the match a little or before the match if he has an idea for my promo. I need to get used to [not talking to Vince].”"

Nakamura regained a bit of lost luster back in January when he turned in an outstanding performance in a Universal Championship number one contender’s gauntlet, which effectively turned him babyface after spending the previous three years as a heel.

However, WWE failed to capitalize on that replenished momentum, having Nakamura lose a pair of matches to Seth Rollins as a means to build Rollins up for his feud with Cesaro and booking him to fall short of winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the SmackDown before WrestleMania 37.

Next. WWE: Jeff Hardy deserves one more push to the top. dark

As of now, “The King of Strong Style” is feuding with King Corbin over the 2019 King of the Ring winner’s crown and who has the right to call himself “king”.