With the news that Shinsuke Nakamura will make his WWE debut at NXT Takeover: Dallas against Sami Zayn in a match that will, more than likely, have me crying tears of joy before, during and after it, I thought that now was as good a time as any to take a look back at his 15 year career and some of the matches that have made it so great. This is a list mainly for those who are unfamiliar with the ‘King of Strong Style’ and the incredible matches he’s had over the years, but it also gives fans of the 3-time IWGP Champion a chance to relive some of his best clashes before his monumental WWE debut on WrestleMania weekend.
Keep in mind, the list is by no means a ‘Top 10’ and the matches aren’t necessarily his best. The matches listed are the ones I believe best show Nakamura’s character development and change in offensive style since his New Japan debut in 2002. There are, however, a few matches on here that I love because, after all, this is an opinion-based list.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kevin Steen – ROH/NJPW War of the Worlds, May 17th 2014
In one of his final ROH matches before his own departure for WWE, Kevin Steen took on Nakamura at the inaugural joint event between Ring of Honor and New Japan. The idea of this dream match had fans just a bit excited, to say the very least, and needless to say, the match delivered on all of the lofty expectations. It was a spectacle of highspots, great comedy, and knee strikes. So many lovely knee strikes. I will say, however, that the match could have gone on longer than 14 minutes, but that’s just because I love both of these men and would not be against seeing them wrestle forever and ever until the end of time. The match not only presents Nakamura in his truest form, a man who seemingly feels no pain and enjoys repeatedly kicking people, it also gives fans an idea of what the man many know as Kevin Owens was like before his WWE days. (Here’s a hint: He was still amazing and strangely good at flips.)
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Prince Devitt – New Japan Cup, March 22nd 2014
That’s right, that other dream match you were thinking about? It’s already happened. Back when Devitt was still the first leader of the Bullet Club, he declared himself a heavyweight and went after the biggest prize in New Japan, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, a move that left the traditional Japanese audience just a tad angry. In order to achieve his ultimate goal, Devitt entered the 2014 New Japan Cup, and had to get past the King of Strong Style in order to advance. In the twelve or so minutes they were given, the two put on an extremely good contest with Shinsuke eventually coming out on top to the delight of the crowd. However, even in defeat, Devitt came out of the match looking like a bonafide star, and a fantastic heel, something we may be seeing a lot more of in the very near future.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs La Sombra – Kizuna Road, July 20th 2013
Another match, another (soon to be) NXT star. I’m starting to notice a pattern here. La Sombra, now known as Manny Andrade in WWE, had a feud of the year candidate with Nakamura in 2013 that saw the two trade victories in Mexico and Japan. On May 31st, Sombra won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Nakamura in Mexico City, becoming the first Mexican to hold the belt. Following this rather shocking and unexpected title change, the two had a rematch at Kizuna Road that was awarded a four-star rating by the Wrestling Observer, and it’s easy to see why. Both men had plenty of time to shine, and La Sombra truly looked like he belonged to be in the ring with a huge star like Nakamura. Although his title run was short lived, Sombra benefitted immensely from the feud thanks to Nakamura’s willingness to initially drop the belt and being given the opportunity to shine on a stage as big as New Japan.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Brock Lesnar – Toukon Shidou Chapter 1, January 4th 2006
Now for something a little bit different. Yes, the man with short hair wearing all black is Shinsuke Nakamura. And yes, the man wearing small red trunks with a god awful chinstrap on his face is the Beast Incarnate. 2006 was a strange year, huh? So, at Toukon Shidou Chapter 1, the event replaced by Wrestle Kingdom from 2007 onwards, Nakamura challenged then champion Brock Lesnar for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Was the match particularly good? Well, not really. For a match that was given just under ten minutes both men did pretty much everything they could, but there wasn’t really anything special that happened, and for a match that had the company’s most illustrious title on the line, that isn’t particularly good. It’s one of only two matches on this list that I don’t absolutely love, and yet it’s possibly the most important match on the list. By that, I mean that it shows you just how much Nakamura’s character and offense has changed since he debuted as the ‘super rookie’. His MMA background is very evident in this match, as he favours using a wide variety submissions rather than just a good ol’ knee to the face. Although it isn’t brilliant, the match is definitely a good example of how two competitors can change so much over a decade.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi – Wrestle Kingdom 9, January 4th 2015
Now, the first of two matches on the list awarded five stars by the Wrestling Observer, and where do I even start with this one? Ibushi was primarily a junior heavyweight in New Japan, winning the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title on three occasions, but in 2014 it was announced that he was now permanently a heavyweight after he previously competed in the 2013 G1 Climax. After missing the 2014 tournament through injury, Ibushi returned and attacked Nakamura, challenging him to a match at the biggest event in the New Japan calendar. What happened next was damn near perfection. From Shinsuke’s elegant entrance to the match itself, everything about the encounter was a spectacle. Some great near-falls, Ibushi stealing Shinsuke’s signature taunts and finish and plenty of jaw-dropping spots provided one of the greatest matches of the century so far. It was that good.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Hiroshi Tanahashi – G1 Climax Day 19, August 16th 2015
2015 was most definitely the year of Nakamura, because this was his second five star match in the space of eight months. EIGHT MONTHS. The 25th G1 Climax had already provided plenty of fantastic matches, but along came Tanahashi and Nakamura to blow the rest of them out of the water. In the 32 minutes they were given, both men told their own stories. For Nakamura, it was an opportunity to regain the IWGP Championship, a title he hadn’t held since 2010, whereas for the then 38 year-old Tanahashi, it was potentially his last chance at earn a shot at the title he’d previously won on seven occasions. This was the first New Japan event I’d ever watched live, and the match had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and in wrestling, 32 minutes is a long damn time. If you’re not already sold on just how good Nakamura is, you’re about to be.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles – Wrestle Kingdom 10, January 4th 2016
That’s right, Shinsuke stole the show for the second consecutive Wrestle Kingdom, because he clearly needed another feather to add to his cap. It shocked me that when the match was first announced, I’d never even realised that I wanted it, considering how good both of these men are. This was AJ’s final singles match before his New Japan departure the next day, and it certainly did not disappoint. AJ knew that this was his last singles match, and possibly his biggest and most anticipated match since joining the company, and it was clear that he wanted to make sure it was what people remembered most from this show. The match itself was a terrific back and forth contest that Shinsuke eventually walked away from with the victory and the Intercontinental Championship, but the fist bump between the two men after the match showed just how much fun they had, as well as the massive amount of respect they had for each other, and AJ walked away having truly earned the respect of the New Japan crowd.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Zack Sabre, Jr. – Revolution Pro Summer Sizzler, June 15th 2014
Shinsuke made his long awaited UK debut in 2014 for Revolution Pro, an independent promotion based in London which has since run joint shows with New Japan and recently had AJ Styles as its Heavyweight Champion. This match, quite simply, was SO OVER. I hadn’t seen a crowd this into a match before it happened, and I’m yet to find one that has kept the crowd so involved since. Sabre Jr has very quickly become the most popular wrestler on the British independent scene, and he recently finished up a run with Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan. His style is very similar to Shinsuke’s early years, as he focuses on systematically destroying the limbs of his opponent before locking in one of a seemingly endless number of submissions to get the job done. The match was full to the brim with some disgustingly strong strikes, submissions that will make you wince, and Sabre Jr kicking out of a Boma Ye knee at 1 because he just can. The match makes you realise just how popular Shinsuke is to a worldwide audience, and it also shows how fantastic Zack Sabre Jr is. Please go out and actively search for his matches once you’ve finished with these ones. You won’t be disappointed.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kurt Angle – IWGP Unification, February 17th 2008
This match requires a bit of context. In 2006, New Japan stripped Brock Lesnar of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for being unable to defend it, but he claimed that the company owed him money, so instead he took the physical belt with him to Antonio Inoki’s IGF promotion, where he lost it to Kurt Angle. Meanwhile, at Wrestle Kingdom 2, Shinsuke defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi for the New Japan-recognised version of the championship, thus setting up this unification bout. Now, as for the bout itself, it’s very similar to the aforementioned match with Lesnar, in that they put on a solid match, and the finish was very good, but it still wasn’t as good as it could have been considering the two competitors involved. However, the contest is still seen as one of the biggest in New Japan history, and just seeing Angle and Nakamura tie up is a sight to behold. If you’re a fan of ground based offence, you’ll most definitely be a fan of this match.
Shinsuke Nakamura and YOSHI-HASHI vs AJ Styles and Kenny Omega – New Year Dash, January 5th 2016
So here we are at the final bout on the list, which also happened to be AJ Styles’ last New Japan match, as well as Nakamura’s first match since the shocking news about his departure was leaked. It was definitely an emotional contest for al involved, including the audience that had packed into the arena to see some of their idols, potentially for the last time. Whilst Nakamura and Styles’ departures are a big loss for New Japan, it has given them the opportunity to create new stars, one of which is Kenny Omega. Omega was the star of the show here, as he was able to show off a lot of his impressive offense. What was most shocking, however, was that Nakamura was the one who Omega pinned to pick up the victory. Knowing full well that he would be leaving soon, Nakamura was more than willing to let a new up and coming star pin him clean in the middle of the ring to pick up, quite possibly, the biggest win of his career. Since this match, Nakamura was stripped of his Intercontinental Championship, which Omega won just a few days ago by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in a great match. This match also served the purpose of eliminating AJ Styles from the Bullet Club, making Omega the new leader, which was executed perfectly. So, whilst two big stars have now left the company, New Japan has done fantastically well with passing the torch to someone new.
Well, that’s the list! Did you agree with the matches chosen, or were there some that you think I should have included? Make sure to comment either way, and thanks for reading!