From the WWE Rumor Mill: The reason why Shinsuke Nakamura won't wrestle before Backlash
What’s the story?
According to reports from Cageside Seats, the WWE is keeping Shinsuke Nakamura from working a match on TV until the SmackDown Live exclusive PPV, Backlash on the 21st of May. The possible reason behind this decision is to build up the match with Dolph Ziggler at Backlash.
In case you didn’t know...
Nakamura has not wrestled officially on TV ever since his debut on SmackDown Live on the 4th of April, 2017. Despite not being able to perform on TV, Nakamura has had a number of dark matches and has featured in many of the WWE Live events.
The heart of the matter
With Backlash being only a few weeks away, fans across the globe have reason to look forward to the SmackDown exclusive and one of those reasons is the much-anticipated matchup between Dolph Ziggler and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura has been one of the most popular superstars in the WWE ever since he signed with NXT. Some might say that signing the ‘King Of Strong Style’ to SmackDown Live was the blue brand’s best decision in quite some time. Being such a huge fan favourite, it would come as no surprise if Nakamura received a huge push from WWE. However, his first task will be his match against the ‘Show Off’ Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler and Nakamura have only been involved in verbal confrontations so far on SmackDown Live and if rumours are to be believed, then it will likely remain the same till Backlash.
What’s next?
If the rumours are true, then fans should get used to seeing the Nakamura-Ziggler feud remain just an exchange of words until Backlash. Hopefully, these exchanges will end with Nakamura giving Ziggler a Kinshasa like always.
Author’s Take
While this rumour comes off as extremely frustrating to the fans, it has to be admitted that this is a smart business decision from the WWE. By keeping the ‘King Of Strong Style’ from fighting a match on TV, the promotion increases the hype surrounding the potentially mind-blowing match between Dolph Ziggler and himself.
However, the entertainment business is tricky and this could just as easily backfire on the company.