10 Wrestlers Who Should Replace Shelton Benjamin As SmackDown's New Star
5. Shinsuke Nakamura
Though The King of Strong Style’s forthcoming NXT Title match with Samoa Joe looks set to ground him in developmental for a while longer, there’s no reason he couldn’t work SmackDown at the same time. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and a handful of others did this as they transitioned to the main roster full-time, and given Nakamura’s undeniable talents, there’s no doubt he’s capable of doing the same.
Shinsuke Nakamura will soon outgrow Full Sail. Four months after debuting, he’s already the most popular wrestler on NXT, and well on his way to becoming a major WWE superstar. You only need to listen to live crowds singing along with his entrance theme to understand just how popular the guy is, and his track record suggests that his momentum is only going to continue.
Blessed with an electric charisma reminiscent of Freddie Mercury or Michael Jackson, Nakamura has more presence than anyone else in the company. Your eyes are drawn to him from the moment he steps onto the stage, and he keeps you locked-in with his hard-hitting strong style wrestling techniques.
As one of the best wrestlers on the planet, Nakamura’s call-up will come sooner or later, but WWE could do a lot worse than throwing him into the fray right away.