Shinsuke Nakamura becomes 2-time Intercontinental Champion on SmackDown
Shinsuke Nakamura has added more gold to his collection as the Japanese Superstar defeated Apollo Crews to become a two-time Intercontinental Champion.
The first match of tonight's SmackDown was for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Apollo Crews and Shinsuke Nakamura delivered an incredible matchup which got the fans on their feet.
However, The King of Strong Style's win over Crews did not come easily as he had to overcome a few obstacles that his opponent created.
A few minutes into the match, both superstars' ringside accomplices, namely Rick Boogs and Commander Azeez were sent off by the referee as he thought they were trying to cause a distraction.
While it's obvious that Azeez's intentions were far from honest, according to Pat McAfee, Boogs was probably misjudged by the referee as he only wanted to hype up Nakamura.
Midway into the match, Crews almost got the pin over Nakamura by putting his feet over the ropes to get leverage but the referee quickly spotted it.
After some near-falls Nakamura finally got the pinfall over Crews after nailing him with the Kinshasa knee strike.
Following his victory, Nakamura celebrated with an emphatic Pat McAfee and Rick Boogs who were positioned on top of the SmackDown announce table.
Shinsuke Nakamura's resurgence on WWE SmackDown
While Shinsuke Nakamura's resume in NJPW speaks for itself, his faithful fans in WWE have always complained about his inconsistent booking starting from his loss against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34 for the WWE Championship and his heel turn.
But slowly things are starting to change for Nakamura. A few months ago, he almost got the chance to face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship after an incredible performance in a No.1 Contender's gauntlet match. Although he did not win, his gutsy performance once again endeared him to the WWE Universe and he became a babyface once again.
The months that followed saw him getting paired up with former NXT superstar Rick Boogs who played his theme on the guitar during entrances.
Nakamura eventually snatched the crown from King Corbin and became the new King of WWE.
Now that Shinsuke Nakamura is the Intercontinental Champion once again, it remains to be seen how his second reign will turn out. Also, what will be next for Crews?
Do you think a rematch between the two will take place at SummerSlam? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.