4 Ups & 4 Downs Before WWE SummerSlam 2017

Ups...

4. Shinsuke Nakamura Has A Chance To Prove Himself

Shinsuke Nakamura Jinder Mahal
WWE.com

The build hasn't been stellar and Jinder Mahal may not be the ideal champion for him to face, but at least Shinsuke Nakamura is in a WWE Title match at SummerSlam. Ignoring the negatives for a second, this is a chance for the ex-NJPW star to send a message the way of Vince McMahon that he can be a WWE headliner for good.

Baron Corbin's MITB cash in threats have disappeared following SmackDown, and that leaves Nakamura as Jinder's sole challenger this Sunday. The match doesn't have a hope in hell of closing the pay-per-view, but it's still a WWE Championship match Nakamura needs to shine in. If he doesn't, he'll dwindle back down the card.

A performer like Nakamura thrives on such pressure; just look at his main event against Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Title at Wrestle Kingdom II in 2008 for proof of that. He excelled then and he can excel now at SummerSlam. Fingers crossed WWE come through for him.

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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.