"He should be on another level" - Respected Legend gets honest about Shinsuke Nakamura's WWE position
WWE legend Kurt Angle shared his thoughts on Shinsuke Nakamura's work during the latest episode of his podcast, which followed the 'Ask Kurt Anything' format.
Kurt Angle honestly believes that Shinsuke Nakamura should be at a higher level in the WWE. The Hall of Famer said that despite Nakamura receiving few opportunities in the main event scene, the company has hesitated to go all the way with the Japanese superstar.
"You know, he has gotten opportunities, but I don't think they have followed through entirely. I think he should be on another level," Kurt Angle revealed.
Kurt Angle said that Nakamura was more than just a great in-ring worker as he complimented the former NXT champion's charismatic on-screen persona. Angle hilariously even mimicked Nakamura's energetic "come on" taunt and added that Nakamura deserved to be at the top of any wrestling company.
"He is not just a great wrestler; he is entertaining. 'Come on!' You know, the way he is, his charisma is off the charts, and I think someone like that should be a huge superstar for the company," said Angle.
I knew he had a huge future: Kurt Angle on facing Shinsuke Nakamura in 2008
13 years ago today,
Shinsuke Nakamura faced Kurt Angle to unify the IGF and IWGP heavyweight titles. Nakamura became the unified champion in a fantastic match. Kurt should’ve done some more matches in NJPW. At least we got Angle vs Tanahashi https://t.co/Ho6yH578CI
Kurt Angle faced a relatively young Shinsuke Nakamura for NJPW way back in 2008, and he recalled being impressed with the superstar's skillset at the time.
While Angle lost the IGF & NJPW IWGP title unification match to Nakamura, he noted that they had fantastic chemistry in the ring.
Angle quickly realized Nakamura's potential and was confident that the NJPW stalwart would experience a successful career in the United States in the years that followed.
"Oh, it was, and Nakamura was pretty young at the time. He was very talented. We had a great match. Great chemistry together. First time we ever worked. First time we ever touched. I knew he had a huge future. I knew if he came over here, and entered the WWE, he would end up being a big star, and he did. He did that," Kurt Angle added.
Kurt Angle also briefly spoke about Shinsuke Nakamura's 'Strong Style,' and the former WWE champion admitted that he went to Japan to experience the country's hard-hitting brand of wrestling.
"Yeah, I prefer that," Angle continued, "That's why I went over to Japan. I worked over there for a couple of years, and I had a lot of fun doing it. The strong style is incredible. That's what I like doing, and that's what I did."
Kurt Angle has had only one singles match with Nakamura in his career; however, they did team up for a dream match against AJ Styles and Hiroshi Tanahashi in 2008.
Shinsuke Nakamura has been in the WWE since 2016 and is the reigning Intercontinental Champion on SmackDown. Do you agree with Kurt Angle? Could WWE have made better use of Shinsuke Nakamura?
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