5 NJPW Feuds Shinsuke Nakamura Could Walk Into Right Now

1. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho Shinsuke Nakamura
NJPW

Being known as a legendary WWE Intercontinental Champion is at this point almost a tainted legacy compared to iconic 'IC' Champions of old Pat Patterson, Ravishing Rick Rude and Mr Perfect. Once the preserve of the elite that toiled underneath whichever muscular second life Vince McMahon was living it at the time, it later became a less-than-secondary prop despite ostensibly remaining the company's silver medal.

Chris Jericho, by virtue of his own star aura, provided the title with some pedigree every time he won it - perhaps the reason the company elected to give him it nine times. And perhaps the reason he bargained for a run with New Japan's version of it following his incredible Wrestle Kingdom clash with Kenny Omega.

The victory over Tetsuya Naito at the company's celebrated Dominion pay-per-view was perfect use of 'Y2J' when only perfection would do. Another loss could have left him as a dead weight part-timer - entering his next match as defending Champion offers unparalleled profile for whomever gets the honour of the match.

A surprise Nakamura return would be the very best way to deploy this. Jericho's maniacal confidence after yet another win in early-2019 would tee up a unexpected reappearance magnificently - and afford NJPW a very 'WWE' main event too as they continue to expand.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett