10 Wrestlers Struggling To Prove Their Worth To WWE
1. Shinsuke Nakamura
Why did WWE sign Shinsuke Nakamura? Purely to stem the rising tide of New Japan Pro Wrestling? That is a cynical assessment - but, in reality, the evidence is damning. The King Of Strong Style isn't the symbol of change his much-touted NXT introduction promised; he is a spoke in the wheel. Where fans see (or saw) a man dripping with a strange strand of physical charisma, the office sees a strange man, very much not their type, struggling to generate the same molten reactions as the man he was signed alongside in AJ Styles.
Nakamura isn't blameless; he has yet to work around a style that, increasingly, reads as one-dimensional. Understandably toned-down - in order to withstand the WWE grind, and to protect his opponents - his Strong Style doesn't resonate because it no longer feels strong. Nakamura used to make you gasp, to make you wince. In 2018, his rote routine is a mere echo of what came before it. He has softened what he should have modified - and, since he was always incompatible with the verbose sports entertainment context, it's difficult to determine his appeal.
Nakamura also isn't without hope, having defeated John Cena and Randy Orton on television and avoided a rushed filler clash with mooted dream opponent AJ Styles - but that match isn't nearly as anticipated as it was this time last year.