10 Wrestlers Who Deserve A Big Push After WWE Royal Rumble 2021
3. Shinsuke Nakamura
It was a depressing Royal Rumble run for Shinsuke Nakamura, who entered the bout on a groundswell of support after a decent run on SmackDown had sparked hopes of a career resurgence. This was earned. 'The King of Strong Style' was outstanding in the Universal Title contendership gauntlet at the start of the year and has maintained a high standard since then, working several levels above his main roster average. The man even got his old entrance theme back! Surely a strong Rumble run was a given?
Sadly not. Entering seventh, Nakamura was in there for 22 minutes but couldn't muster a single elimination before he was depressingly thrown out by Baron Corbin. Understandably, this was received like a soggy fart in an elevator on social media.
Nakamura deserved better than this on the pay-per-view and he deserves better after it as well. While he has often disappointed on the main roster, particularly in big spots, he has rebuilt support organically through standout performances. Having done all he can to earn a higher spot on the card, it's now on the decision-makers to act.