Shinsuke Nakamura has opened up on the struggles he’s faced since leaving his native Japan for a new challenge in WWE.
Nakamura joined WWE in early 2016 as a raft of talent left New Japan Pro Wrestling for the company. Alongside Nakamura, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, and AJ Styles all made the jump back to the US. In Nakamura’s first match under the WWE umbrella, he defeated Sami Zayn in a classic at NXT TakeOver: Dallas.
Since then Nakamura won the NXT Championship twice beating Samoa Joe on both occasions first at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II and then at an NXT show in Osaka, Japan. Following those reigns Nakamura was called up to the main roster where he has mainly competed in the midcard of SmackDown.
Speaking to Renee Paquette on her Oral Sessions podcast, Nakamura took time to discuss the challenges he still finds in wrestling, despite being a near-20 year veteran of the sport.
Nakamura said:
“I’m still struggling in wrestling. Coming to the US and to the WWE is challenging, I came to challenge myself, that’s why I’m here. I’m waiting to find my timing or the right moment. I can wrestle anybody. […] I don’t pitch ideas to Vince, we talk only after the match or before the match if he has an idea for my promo, I need to get used to that [the little time we talk].”
Shinsuke Nakamura is an all-time great in NJPW having captured almost every title there was available to him as well as coming out on top in the hallowed G1 Climax Tournament in 2011. Nakamura has held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship three times, winning the second of those from Hiroshi Tanahashi at WrestleKingdom II in 2008.
Nakamura also discussed his thoughts on the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship after Kota Ibushi unified the previous heavyweight title with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship that Nakamura had held five times.