7 Ups & 0 Downs From WWE SmackDown (15 Nov - Results & Review)

5. Shinsuke Nakamura Targets LA Knight

Shinsuke Nakamura LA Knight
WWE.com

Y'know, it was actually refreshing to see LA Knight single out Berto as the member of Legado del Fantasma he wanted to defend his United States Title against. Santos Escobar would've been the easiest choice for WWE, but Knight vs. Berto is a fresh match-up and avoided an unnecessary loss for Legado's leader. That surprise shift gave LA someone new to work with, and he scored a routine win before moving on.

Everyone was wondering who Knight's next challenger would be heading into SmackDown. Now, we have our answer. Shinsuke Nakamura appeared behind the champ post-match, and the 'Wayward Samurai' laid LA out before leaving. That's a really, really good choice. Shin's heel character will contrast well with LA's motor-mouthed popularity, and they'll surely have some cracking matches into the bargain.

Knight will do most of the talking before they clash. That'll be true whether they meet at Survivor Series or at Saturday Night's Main Event in mid-December. Holding off for the latter might be an idea, come to think of it. That card already has the Women's US Title tourney finale to shout about, but it could use another solid midcard title match to pad things out. Knight vs. Nakamura would be exactly that.

Hopefully, booking Naka in this spot will let creative draft up a longer term opponent for LA too. He'll need something special heading into WrestleMania 41 season. That's the only way to keep him hot. Shinsuke is a fine makeweight challenger for now. Besides, it was about time he showed back up to do something.

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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.