WWE has hit a home run with the signing of Shinsuke Nakamura. The former New Japan star is one of the most decorated wrestlers in all of the world. He now has the opportunity to showcase his unique wrestling ability on the world’s biggest sports entertainment platform.
It didn’t take long for Nakamura to make an impact in the WWE. His first match took place during Wrestlemania weekend. He faced Sami Zayn at NXT Takeover. The crowd was instantly drawn to Nakamura, as his energy overwhelmed the Dallas crowd.
It’s apparent that he will become a fan favorite for years to come.
What makes Nakamura such an intriguing character is his unique wrestling skill set. He features a heavy amount of kicks, strikes, and punches in his arsenal. This is most commonly referred to as strong style. It’s a very prominent technique used in Japan by many of its top talents.
As a result of his mastery of the technique, Nakamura is known as the King of Strong Style.
WWE hasn’t scouted the Japanese wrestling scene for quite some time, but recently that’s been a major target for the company. In addition to Nakamura, they have brought in numerous other Japanese talents from other promotions such as Kenta (Hideo Itami) and Kana (Asuka).
WWE also added a few other New Japan alumni in former IWGP Tag Champs, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, and former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, A.J. Styles.
The addition of these wrestlers signals a new approach by WWE as they go global searching for new talent, that might have been written off a few years ago.
While Gallows, Anderson and Styles have extensive American wrestling roots, performers such as Asuka, Itami and Nakamura have been predominantly featured in promotions outside of the United States.
It’s especially encouraging to see WWE sign wrestlers from overseas, as it will give the company fresh faces that the American audience isn’t used to seeing.
The monumental signing of Nakamura will likely be followed by many more New Japan competitors. There are numerous others that need to be featured on the big stage of WWE. Some more notable names include Okada, Kushida, and Kenny Omega, all of whom have marketable gimmicks, and are great in-ring workers.
It’s quite a treat to see some of these talented performers compete in a WWE ring. The wrestling landscape is changing, as promotions such as New Japan are seeing their talent raided by the WWE. And for fans of the world’s largest sports entertainment company, that’s certainly a good thing.
Follow Daniel James Gentile on Twitter @dgentlemam9288