6 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 9)

Downs...

3. This Is Getting Silly

Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE.com

So that's another week without significant involvement from United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, and something's got to give.

'The King Of Strong Style' has done little since taking the secondary belt. He occasionally shows up for a quick interview and/or a fun midcard scrap, but that's it. No featured bouts, no big programmes, no feuds: nothing. He's flotsam. He's Tye Dillinger. He's just a guy.

Though the Rey Mysterio announcement at least guarantees Nakamura will have something fun to do next week, who's to say it'll lead to anything bigger? After being used as a facilitator in the Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy and 'The Viper's' recent micro-feud with Dillinger, it looks like he's now in a borderline enhancement role, rather than a featured one, and it stinks.

Let's get Nakamura back on television and into a regular programme ASAP. He isn't a perfect WWE worker, but he's too good to be languishing, and he holds a belt. Neither him nor the US Title will ever be anything until the company fix this issue.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.