Nakamura - Sink Or Swim?

Badly used on Smackdown. Ziggler is bland, Orton was ok and Mahal was a disaster.

He needs the likes of AJ Styles, Joe, Finn Balor etc to have great matches with, just for the sake of having great matches.

Instead Mahal cuts some bullshit, racist promos and Nakamura does the job to him.

One thing that Nakamura should do is not to be so vocal whilst selling a beating. It kind of puts me off, to be honest, whilst he is whining like a girl whilst in a headlock.

Nakamura put on one of the best ever matches against Zayn and an excellent one with Balor. His matches with Joe and Roode were also good (not great). With that said, even his booking at NXT was dubious whilst he was champion, basically beating Joe, then losing two straight to Bobby Roode.

Asuka V Emma was booked poorly but Asuka is back on the right track. I fear that they will soon fuck it up again though, possibly at Survivor Series.

Another thing, but maybe it is just that the fans are shit nowadays? Main roster crowds are so much quieter than the white-hot NXT Takeover audience.
 
I noted this when he first came in that with the language barrier, it was going to be hard for Nakamura to make it as a big star and the fact that he won't be wrestling the exact same style as he did in Japan, I highly doubted he would make it. I did say I wouldn't bet on it as I rarely do but I did say I felt it was more likely than not that he would not live up to the "hype" and would not attain the success of fellow WWE first timer, AJ Styles.
 
I noted this when he first came in that with the language barrier, it was going to be hard for Nakamura to make it as a big star and the fact that he won't be wrestling the exact same style as he did in Japan, I highly doubted he would make it. I did say I wouldn't bet on it as I rarely do but I did say I felt it was more likely than not that he would not live up to the "hype" and would not attain the success of fellow WWE first timer, AJ Styles.

It's not really the same sitch as AJ, tho. AJ has been a fixture in the American wrestling scene - I mean physically, on this soil, in in the physical presence of fans at shows - since 1998. Nak didn't start even in Japan until 2002, and he might not have wrestled in America before 2006 as far a I can see (just from a quick search, tho). By 2006, AJ had already appeared for WCW and ROH, and in fact was NWA champion, and also X Division champion for TNA.

Shinsuke might have had a higher theoretical ceiling considering his Japanese accolades, but not much - and with AJ certainly having the higher floor.
 
It's not really the same sitch as AJ, tho. AJ has been a fixture in the American wrestling scene - I mean physically, on this soil, in in the physical presence of fans at shows - since 1998. Nak didn't start even in Japan until 2002, and he might not have wrestled in America before 2006 as far a I can see (just from a quick search, tho). By 2006, AJ had already appeared for WCW and ROH, and in fact was NWA champion, and also X Division champion for TNA.

Shinsuke might have had a higher theoretical ceiling considering his Japanese accolades, but not much - and with AJ certainly having the higher floor.
Never said they were the same but the issue was the very similar when both guys came in. Many questioned whether AJ would ever be a ME and star. Alot of fans, even hardcore fans and AJ Styles fan, didn't think AJ would have made it as big as he has. Many thought he'd be relegated to the midcard after an initial push and alot of those posts can be found here and the reasoning wasn't his lack of skill but rather the belief that the WWE wouldn't know what to do with him or wouldn't use him correctly and, thus, he would not be able to break through.

When Nakamura came to the WWE, everyone had the same questions; would his skills and talent shine through? Would the WWE use him correctly? Would he break through regardless of how the WWE booked him?

That's what I meant by it.
 
Never said they were the same but the issue was the very similar when both guys came in. Many questioned whether AJ would ever be a ME and star. Alot of fans, even hardcore fans and AJ Styles fan, didn't think AJ would have made it as big as he has. Many thought he'd be relegated to the midcard after an initial push and alot of those posts can be found here and the reasoning wasn't his lack of skill but rather the belief that the WWE wouldn't know what to do with him or wouldn't use him correctly and, thus, he would not be able to break through.

When Nakamura came to the WWE, everyone had the same questions; would his skills and talent shine through? Would the WWE use him correctly? Would he break through regardless of how the WWE booked him?

That's what I meant by it.

Ah, I gotcha now
 
Goddamn this year-long sig/av bet is gonna come down to the last month win or lose, ain't it

It's tough to call. AJ being champ should worry you though. I think they're fairly comfortable with him as the face of Smackdown, and it seems like they gave Nak some main event shine, to prop him up for solid mid-level run. I could see Nak becoming US Champ, but not World Champ.
 
It's tough to call. AJ being champ should worry you though. I think they're fairly comfortable with him as the face of Smackdown, and it seems like they gave Nak some main event shine, to prop him up for solid mid-level run. I could see Nak becoming US Champ, but not World Champ.

Do they have another Japanese tour scheduled? That will probably be the deciding factor.
 
It's tough to call. AJ being champ should worry you though. I think they're fairly comfortable with him as the face of Smackdown, and it seems like they gave Nak some main event shine, to prop him up for solid mid-level run. I could see Nak becoming US Champ, but not World Champ.

AJ being champ actually gave me hope I might not lose, considering it seems like there's a pretty decent chance it's AJ / Nak at Mania. Just a matter of whether AJ holds the belt 'til then.

Basically ... I think we have a pretty good idea after the Rumble who wins/loses this bet.
 
AJ being champ actually gave me hope I might not lose, considering it seems like there's a pretty decent chance it's AJ / Nak at Mania. Just a matter of whether AJ holds the belt 'til then.

Basically ... I think we have a pretty good idea after the Rumble who wins/loses this bet.

Doesn't the bet end in Feb? Don't think WM can save you.

EDIT - Seems it's April.
 
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LOL.

I'll totally sig/AV bet you on his World Champion status a year from now. If he's either Smackdown/Raw World Champion at anytime between now and April of 2018, you win.

Deal?

Shit, when is WM? Okay, April 8!
 
I think Heretic you need to negotiate a settlement considering Nak has beat Cena, Orton, Reigns and the Rumble.
 
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