WWE Extreme Rules 2019: 5 reasons why Finn Bálor lost the Intercontinental Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura
Finn Bálor and Shinsuke Nakamura were relegated to the Kickoff show on the Extreme Rules card tonight, and shockingly Bálor lost the Intercontinental Championship to The Artist, a title that he only picked up back in April when he was able to defeat Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania.
Bálor hasn't been part of WWE TV for the past few weeks and only returned two weeks ago when he opened a feud with Nakamura backstage on SmackDown Live. The two men then collided on SmackDown Live on Tuesday where Nakamura picked up the win and set up the match between these two men tonight.
It was a shock that a match of this caliber was on the kickoff show alongside the usual Cruiserweight Championship match, but Nakamura was able to take advantage. But, why was The Artist able to become Champion following his doomed reign with the United States Championship a few months ago.
Let's take a closer look.
#5. WWE owes Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura hasn't been used much on WWE TV over the past few months, and at one point there were rumors that he was looking to leave the company. This speculation seems to have died down recently, however.
Nakamura had a terrible reign as United States Champion and was never able to defend it on pay-per-view, before he lost the title in a match against R-Truth that many believed had a botched finish.
At this point, many fans believed that Nakamura was one of the most underutilized talents in the company. Given the fact that The Artist has a number of options when it comes to wrestling outside of WWE, it's likely that company wanted to ensure that he didn't leave WWE in the near future. A title run heading into The Biggest Party of the Summer could have been their best option.
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