17 Former WWE United States Champions Who Never Won A World Title
15. Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura has been on the receiving end of several puzzling decisions during his brief run as a WWE Superstar. He established himself as a premier sports entertainer in the developmental territory, but after arriving on the main roster, 'The Artist' lost his momentum. The creative team tried to push him by booking him to win the Royal Rumble match in 2018.
But, somehow, his character did not connect with the fans. After losing to AJ Styles multiple times, Nakamura found himself back in the mid-card, chasing the United States Championship. He captured the title at Extreme Rules 2018, defeating Jeff Hardy. Nakamura held the belt for 156 days but still could not have even a single credible rivalry. His feud with 'The Charismatic Enigma' never gained momentum while his credibility diminished when 'The King of Strong Style' lost matches against Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins.
Rusev dethroned him as the champion on the Christmas special episode of the blue brand. However, he dropped the belt to the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion at the Royal Rumble kickoff show. Nakamura's second reign as champion lasted for just two nights. Unsurprisingly, he has still not made it back to the main event scene.