15 Ups & 13 Downs For WWE In 2017

4. Shinsuke Nakamura's Handling

Shinsuke Nakamura Kevin Owens
WWE.com

He remains one of SmackDown's most popular wrestlers, but WWE have made a complete hash of Shinsuke Nakamura's main roster presentation, starting with his debut feud.

'The King Of Strong Style' should've ran through the lowly Dolph Ziggler, but no: Nakamura was made to go 50/50 with 'The Show-Off' at Backlash. This told audiences that he wasn't a special attraction, but "just a guy," and the theme continued through feuds with Jinder Mahal and Baron Corbin, neither of which presented Shinsuke in a positive light.

The Mahal feud was particularly damaging. It saw the former NXT Champion eat two consecutive pay-per-view losses, neither of which offered sufficient protection, and his superstar aura was gone. Now, Nakamura isn't the electric 'Michael Jackson of wrestling' of old, but a generic upper-midcarder with goofy facial expressions and a cool entrance theme, with his story highlighting WWE's cluelessness in preserving star power.

Shinsuke isn't a complete dead-loss, and could potentially be rebuilt through a program with someone like AJ Styles, but he should be heading into 2018 a star, not a broken toy.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.