5 must-watch matches of Shinsuke Nakamura before WWE
Ever since making his WWE debut in 2016, ‘The King of Strong Style’ Shinsuke Nakamura has dazzled the entire WWE Universe with his mesmerizing in-ring performances and has already produced some of the most memorable Pro Wrestling matches of all time within his first one and a half year span with the WWE.
Nakamura’s debut match in the WWE against Sami Zayn is a prime example of how good the Japanese Superstar is inside the Pro Wrestling ring, and his bouts against the likes of Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, John Cena, Bobby Roode and Kevin Owens are some absolutely amazing matches that are definitely worth checking out.
However, prior to signing with the WWE, Nakamura was arguably the biggest stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling where he along with Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi were three of the biggest stars in NJPW at that point of time.
Nakamura became an overnight sensation in New Japan and every time he stepped into the NJPW ring, ‘The King of Strong Style’ always delivered his absolute best and brought along a different vibe to the squared circle.
The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion has also had some of the most memorable matches in both NJPW and for various other global promotions as well and with that being said, let us now get an in-depth look at Nakamura’s 5 best matches before signing with WWE.
#5. Shinsuke Nakamura vs La Sombra - NJPW: Kizuna Road, 2013
The year 2013 was pretty interesting for Shinsuke Nakamura who engaged into a heated and intense rivalry with one of CMLL’s fastest rising stars in La Sombra (now billed as Andrade “Cien” Almas in WWE).
Nakamura and Sombra’s feud spanned over two different continents, with the latter winning the IWGP Intercontinental Championship off ‘The King of Strong Style’ in CMLL and in doing so, Sombra also became the first ever Mexican wrestler to ever hold the IWGP IC Title.
However, at Kizuna Road, 2013, Nakamura was out for revenge as he looked to score a win over the very talented and high-flying La Sombra, who used his athleticism and traditional Lucha Libre style against the strong style of Nakamura, who on this occasion was forced to step out his comfort zone inside the squared circle.
But, despite that Nakamura was successfully able to defeat the Los Ingobernables originator after hitting with a brutal Bomaye Knee.
With both men currently working under the SmackDown Live brand, will we possibly witness a rematch between them in the future?