Shinsuke Nakamura Has Still Not Signed With WWE

Company waiting on medical results before completing deal.

Despite more than a month's worth of speculation and the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion's arrival at WWE's Orlando Performance Center, Shinsuke Nakamura has yet to finalize a deal with the company. The reason for the wait is that it wasn't until last week that Nakamura was able to fly to Pittsburgh to take the standard medical tests, and WWE makes sure all tests are in order prior to completing a signing. In the past, medical issues have delayed signings (Chris Hero's 2011 hire was put on hold until doctors were able to determine that his elevated testosterone levels were natural) or even cancelled them (in 2009, an offer to Nigel McGuinness was rescinded after he refused to surgically fix a torn biceps muscle at his own expense). The fact that Nakamura's first match has already been announced is a sign that the company believes he'll be cleared without incident. Still, should the worst happen, PWInsider speculates that Nakamura will be brought in to wrestle his NXT TakeOver: Dallas match against Sami Zayn, then dismissed. Likewise, the company could easily edit NXT GM William Regal's announcement of the match off of the taped broadcast on which it will air, leaving only live fans (and those who read internet spoilers) any the wiser. Nakamura's medical results and employment status should be publicly known soon.
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Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013