5 reasons why Shinsuke Nakamura must defeat Dolph Ziggler at WWE Backlash 2017
WWE Backlash will give us our first look at Shinsuke Nakamura’s wrestling talents since coming to the main roster. This is obviously a highly anticipated event as Nakamura has been lauded as one of the best wrestlers in the company, and this will be his first televised match since being called up from NXT.
Nakamura put together quite the resume for himself as he led the Yellow brand, following Finn Balor’s departure. His saga with Samoa Joe anchored NXT for months, and just as Joe moved on to Raw shortly before WrestleMania, Nakamura has graduated from developmental as well.
And with this move up to the main roster, WWE has the responsibility to make Nakamura feel like the megastar he was in NXT as well as in Japan. They’ve done a great job so far, having him look strong in promos and making his debut feel like a big deal. But they aren’t done yet. It is vital that Nakamura beats Dolph Ziggler at Backlash, and here are five reasons why.
#5 Credibility
The most important thing when building a new star is making sure they’re credible. They have to give off an aura that says their opponents have to take them seriously. This is something Nakamura had in spades while in NXT as every match he had felt like a PPV-worthy bout.
Losing in a debut match after all this hype is simply not an option. Again, Nakamura has yet to have a match on the main roster. If he comes out as a loser in his first outing in the big leagues, his character will take a hit that it might not recover from. Every new Superstar needs to start out with some momentum.
He would look like a stooge if all of Ziggler’s trash talk actually turns out to be warranted. Nakamura is one of the biggest stars in the wrestling industry. He can’t be made a fool of in his WWE PPV debut, especially considering he’s the person WWE is marketing this PPV around. Just look at the posters and graphics for the event; it’s Nakamura, front and centre.
If Nakamura is going to be taken as seriously on the main roster as he was in NXT, a win next Sunday is essential.