After taking time off due to injury, this WWE SmackDown standout is back in action.
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After an injury-related layoff, Shinsuke Nakamura has been cleared to return to the ring. The defending WWE Intercontinental Champion recently stated on his Instagram account that he is fully recovered and ready to compete again. He could theoretically compete in Saturday’s Royal Rumble match, which is presently devoid of SmackDown guys. At the time of writing, just five blue-brand representatives had been revealed.
Nakamura is in St. Louis, Missouri, according to PWInisder’s Mike Johnson, ahead of tonight’s SmackDown taping and Saturday’s Royal Rumble.
Since teaming up with Rick Boogs to fight Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin on an 18 December home event, Nakamura hasn’t competed for WWE. That night, he sustained a hand injury, which Boogs confirmed during an appearance on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character.
Considering this, Shinsuke has been a constant presence on television by Boogs’ side, appearing on SmackDown even when he is unable to wrestle. Prior to his injury, WWE planned to have him defend the Intercontinental title against Sami Zayn on Day 1 (1 January).
Nakamura’s Intercontinental Championship reign has been brief, with his most recent defense taking place on the September 24 episode of SmackDown.
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Since its establishment, the Intercontinental Championship has been one of WWE’s most prestigious belts, boasting a star-studded history despite its decreasing prominence in recent years. It’s had its ups and downs recently, growing in prominence under the reigns of Seth Rollins and The Miz. Shinsuke Nakamura, the current champion, is having a terrible time as the champion, with his reign being among the poorest of all time.
Since earning the championship in August 2021, Nakamura has only defended it once on television and never on PPV, with the most recent defense taking place in September. This is a very incredible number that says words about how WWE perceives both the champion and the championship now that it is 2022. Even now and then, he vanishes from Smackdown, something that happened frequently throughout his past midcard title reigns. He appears to be more of an afterthought than ever before, and despite sounding like a broken record, the championship appears to be entirely irrelevant.
Unless he’s on TV, Nakamura isn’t treated like a champion, since he’s been pinned several times — including during tag team fights with Boogs, when the champion takes the fall for whatever reason. Happy Corbin and Angel Garza have both defeated Nakamura by pinfall, however, neither has received a championship chance, despite Corbin winning a Championship Contenders match that has since been forgotten. It would be better than nothing to defend it on TV and even on PPV pre-shows. His only PPV appearance was at Survivor Series when his status was so low that the US vs. IC Title battle was on the pre-show, and Nakamura barely won by disqualification.
It’s been a humiliatingly awful reign, with the championship having less value than it has in years – and that’s saying a lot.
