Update on Shinsuke Nakamura being “spotted” at AEW
UPDATE: A new report has invalidated the rumors about Shinsuke Nakamura being seen backstage at AEW Dynamite. The original article has been updated to reflect this change.
This week's AEW Dynamite was quite a high-profile episode, as the company booked three massive title matches.
Jon Moxley defended his IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Yuji Nagata, and the match lived up to the hype that surrounded it before the show.
To add even more intrigue to the bout, the release of a new photograph has led to speculation that WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura was backstage at AEW Dynamite. Nakamura was seen in a photo alongside Yuji Nagata, which you can view below:
In an update, Mike Johnson of PWInsider has reported that Nakamura was not backstage at AEW Dynamite on Wednesday night:
WWE's Shinsuke Nakamura was not at Dynamite," wrote Johnson. "Photos of him visiting with New Japan's Yuji Nagata have floated around, leading to some assuming they were taken at AEW. That was not the case.
Why did fans speculate that Shinsuke Nakamura was at the AEW Dynamite tapings?
Upon seeing the photo, many fans might have assumed that Nakamura might have been in attendance to meet and support Nagata, a legendary Japanese wrestler.
The 41-year-old star still wants to be an active competitor, and his rumored presence at an AEW event led to plenty of speculation. But would Nakamura actually entertain the idea of working for AEW in the future? Only time will tell.
Nakamura and Nagata have previously faced each other in NJPW, and the WWE superstar holds two singles victories in the rivalry.
The King of Strong Style is a babyface these days on SmackDown, and he was involved in a big eight-man tag team match on last week's episode. Unfortunately, Nakamura was on the losing end of the contest.
His Japanese compatriot, Yuji Nagata, also fell short in the IWGP United States Championship match against Jon Moxley on AEW Dynamite.
AEW Dynamite kicked off with the highly-anticipated championship match, and the bout was a predictably hard-hitting affair.
Moxley and Nagata put on a solid opener, and the reigning champion retained the title against the NJPW legend. Both competitors bowed as a sign of respect after the match, and it was a great way to kickstart in the in-ring proceedings of the evening.
What do you think about the picture showing Nakamura's presence at an AEW show? Sound off in the comments below.