Shinsuke Nakamura set to face former NXT Champion for the Intercontinental Championship at WWE Day 1
This week's WWE SmackDown saw a new challenger emerge for Shinsuke Nakamura's Intercontinental Championship as Sami Zayn defeated 11 other superstars to become the number one contender.
In the spirit of the holiday season, WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville previously announced a 12 Days of Christmas Gauntlet Match, with the winner receiving a shot at the IC title.
The Underdog from Underground was the last entrant in the gauntlet match as he defeated Ricochet to win his second seasonal match in a row. The former NXT Champion previously won the Black Friday Battle Royal in November.
.@SamiZayn has earned a shot at @ShinsukeN's #ICTitle!
#SmackDown #GauntletMatch https://t.co/d6SyGoRhJ4
Sami Zayn will now face The King of Strong Style, who he once managed during his run with The Artist Collective, for his coveted title at the Day 1 pay-per-view.
Shinsuke Nakamura's run as WWE Intercontinental Champion has been underwhelming
Shinsuke Nakamura,posing with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in New York City,circa-2014 https://t.co/RqY7pkkJBP
Shinsuke Nakamura, a two-time NXT champion, was a force to be reckoned with during his time on the brand. However, the Japanese superstar's run with the prestigious Intercontinental Championship has been lackluster.
Since winning gold against Apollo Crews on SmackDown, he has only defended the championship once on television, defeating Crews in a rematch. While Happy Corbin defeated Nakamura in a Championship Contender's match on an edition of the blue brand, the title clash never happened.
The King of Strong Style has been largely limited to the tag team division, being paired with Rick Boogs. The two recently defeated Los Lotharios (Angel and Humberto) in a short bout on the Friday night show.
Renowned for his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura is a three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. However, his title reigns in Vince McMahon's promotion have been underwhelming.
Maybe a match against the guy he faced in his first-ever match on NXT could help revive the title run? Only time will tell.