10 WWE Stars Who Will Leave In 2021

6. Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Cesaro Aew
WWE

"Returning to former glory in Japan".

There's nobody in WWE that sentence fits better than Shinsuke Nakamura. The former three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion could make a packet by departing the safety of his current contract and working several high-profile bouts in NJPW. Of course, nobody can blame him for taking an easy pay check.

Naka is 40 years old, and his body went through hell before inking a WWE deal. These could well be Shinsuke's 'money years' - no wrestling fan could begrudge him that, but the more selfish side of fandom yearns for more than he's been able to give on SmackDown in 2020.

Nakamura isn't stupid. He'll know that New Japan would jump at the chance to re-sign him for massive matches in 2021 and beyond. Admittedly, that option will be there for a good while yet, but don't count it out in the coming year.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.