10 Best In-Ring Workers In WWE Right Now

2. Shinsuke Nakamura

bobby roode shinsuke nakamura
WWE.com

There's no argument that Shinsuke Nakamura has tempered his in-ring style since arriving in WWE. His matches have almost verged on the formulaic at times; the programmes with Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode were both plotted around neutralising the use of his knee, but that he remains one of the best wrestlers on the planet speaks to his adaptability.

As standardised as those matches were, they were still excellently-crafted and performed, even if to New Japan fans familiar with his insane and totally unprecedented matches with Kota Ibushi - in which he more or less kicked the Golden Sun into a state of insanity - they were almost irreconcilable.

Almost. Nakamura in New Japan, operating within the Fighting Spirit psychological mode, would have been galvanised by the pain he suffered at TakeOver: Orlando, but Nakamura in WWE shouldn't be chastised for attuning himself to a new environment; he should be celebrated.

His body language in that match was superb, too, which bodes well for his main roster prospects in a company heavy on cinematic storytelling. The bumps he took mirrored his trademark Yeaoh pose in one last admission that Bobby Roode had broken him.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!