5 Rare Shinsuke Nakamura Matches You Need to See
WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura has evolved manifold over the past decade, from being an obscure Japanese name to establishing himself in the annals of pro-wrestling. His "Strong Style" has won him fans from all over the world and his immense in-ring talent has him "lording" over the WWE roster.
Recently, he was victorious at the Royal Rumble after eliminating Roman Reigns and wasted no time in claiming a shot at A.J. Styles's title. But did you know of his exploits before he was lucky enough to make it in the WWE? He has some high profile matches to his name in his pre-WWE days. Here are five of them:
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kevin Steen
One of the most highfalutin matchups ever to grace the marquee of professional wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura locked horns with Kevin Owens (wrestling under the moniker of Kevin Steen, his real name) in 2014.
Two of the current hot properties of the World Wrestling Entertainment crossed paths at War of the Worlds, a collaborative effort of Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Nakamura was NJPW’s flag-bearer while Steen hailed from the Ring of Honor oeuvre.
This dream match lived up to all the hype it generated and was a tug-of-war as both men executed their game styles to near perfection: Nakamura was at the prime of his strong style, while Steen effectively used his repertoire as a hard-hitter.
One of the highlights (speaking from personal opinion) was the involvement of the crowd as both men were equally lauded for their efforts. There was never a dull moment in the game as both competitors used the “evade and attack” principle to get the advantage going.
The match lasted about a quarter of an hour and it ended with a brutal bomaye to Steen and with Nakamura picking up the win.