Former IC Champion sends eerie four-word message to Seth Rollins ahead of WWE Payback
When all the dust was settled after The Biggest Party of the Summer, WWE television had to revert to slow-burn building up of storylines for their September premium live event, Payback.
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the World Heavyweight Championship is the sole world title program heading into the show.
The Japanese sensation has never looked better since his Royal Rumble win in 2018. Despite this, one can't bet against The Visionary, who has had a stellar run thus far as the red brand's top champion.
The former Intercontinental Champion recently appeared on WWE's The Bump, where he dropped a message directed at his opponent in PPG Paints Arena this Saturday night:
"Let's have fun, Seth," Nakamura said. [From 18:32 to 18:36]
Former World Heavyweight Champion addresses the upcoming title match at WWE Payback
Shinsuke Nakamura resurfaced on WWE television after Triple H took over the creative team and saw the former get better opportunities than he did prior. Nakamura worked with Karrion Kross earlier this year and faced Bronson Reed in multiple contests since arriving on Monday Night RAW. But perhaps his biggest one yet is the upcoming world title match against Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Speaking about the contest on Busted Open, Mark Henry credited The Artist for making the most out of the opportunity presented to him. According to the Hall of Famer, Nakamura has never been better than in the ongoing storyline.
"This is a big fight feel to me," Henry said. "This is one of those where they [say], 'This is a championship match, and both guys are in their corner. And from Osaka, Japan. And [from] Davenport, Iowa.' They're gonna build this because they have to ... You have to build this to be what it needs to be, and that is an ultimate championship match that people are willing to pay money to see," said Henry. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
Their careers have crossed paths several times in the past, most notably in the non-title contest they had at Survivor Series in 2018, where Rollins was the Intercontinental Champion and Nakamura was the United States Champion. Both stars have come a long way since then.
Does Shinsuke Nakamura deserve a run with the World Heavyweight Championship, and do you think WWE will pull the trigger on the Japanese sensation? Sound off in the comments section below!