Shinsuke Nakamura To WWE NXT : WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

At the January 27th taping of WWE NXT, General Manager William Regal confirmed what had been rumored in early January and, announced that Shinsuke Nakamura would be joining the ranks of WWE, more specifically, NXT. This announcement comes just days after Nakamura relinquished the IWGP Intercontinental Championship he single handedly lifted to main event status, at an official New Japan Pro Wrestling press conference.

It was confirmed he would make his debut in Dallas at NXT Takeover, and would be facing…SAMI ZAYN at that event. Here is a portion of the WWE.COM statement :

“Yes, the rumors are true. Shinsuke Nakamura is coming to WWE NXT.

At Wednesday night’s NXT taping at Full Sail University in Orlando, Fla., a video announcing the impending arrival of the Japanese standout played for the live crowd, sending shockwaves through the arena and, moments later, the social media world.

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Nakamura, a 14-year veteran of the squared circle, has been a leading star in the New Japan promotion since 2002. Renowned for his striking and submission ability, as well as his unorthodox charisma, Nakamura’s devastating Bomaye knee strike has felled many opponents and his smash mouth style has earned him the nickname The King of Strong Style. A three-time IWGP Champion — the same once title held by the likes of Vader, The Great Muta and AJ Styles — Nakamura is the youngest competitor to win that championship, capturing it for the first time at 23. He has taken on a who’s who of the best grapplers in the world in his career, facing the likes of Finn Bálor, Kevin Owens, Hideo Itami, WWE Performance Center Head Coach Matt Bloom and The Beast Incarnate himself, Brock Lesnar.”

Can I see those diamonds??

What a time to be alive indeed!

NXT continues to reaffirm its status as the hottest brand in professional wrestling. Nakamura joins the recently signed Austin Aries, in bolstering the brand, as NXT Takeover Dallas could be home to a Match Of The Year Candidate in Nakamura vs Zayn. Honestly, I have no idea who will be cheered more, but this is a time to just appreciate perhaps the most charismatic wrestler walking the planet making a dream match happen with the most beloved wrestler in the history of NXT.

It will be a match that could go down as the crown jewel of Wrestlemania Weekend, much how Bayley and Sasha Banks etched their names in the shadows of Summerslam 2015. If you’ve never seen Shinsuke Nakamura, he is already a Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall Of Famer, and won 2015’s Match of The Year in his showdown against Kota Ibushi.

Feel free to watch his instant classic from Wrestle Kingdom 10 earlier this month, where he took on AJ Styles.

While NXT is a great place to debut Shinsuke Nakamura, don’t get used to seeing him there forever. Hop on the bandwagon now, and get ready for his eventual main roster debut!