10 Reasons Shinsuke Nakamura's WWE Run Will Fail
6. Script Error, Part 2
It's one thing for Nakamura to be hamstrung by his own promos, but it's quite another for writers to have no idea how best to present his opponents.
In the first tête-à-tête between Dolph Ziggler and 'The Artist', 'The Show Off' was given some appalling dialogue, in which he was forced to beat into the ground a literal comparison between SmackDown Live!'s newest acquisition and Michael Jackson.
Kevin Owens fared little better, feigning confusion with the former NXT Champion despite their relatively similar progression through WWE's ranks well known by large portions of their respective fanbases.
Again, when turning to NXT, the blueprints for heels working against the dynamic Japanese stars are there to liberally appropriate. Samoa Joe first underestimated the size of the fight within Shinsuke, then raged at his confidence and aura. Bobby Roode used his own bluster as an effort to counteract Nakamura's, gamely trying not to be thrown off by the theatre of it all.
Planted centre-ring and emotionless, the 'King of Strong Style' will look absolutely toothless trapped on the losing end of an insipid microphone war, with WWE's fickle and unforgiving crowds liable to abandon their support for him should he struggle to fight the losing battle.