9 Ways To Introduce Shinsuke Nakamura To WWE Roster

This time of year the wrestling rumor mill is churning with news of which NXT talents will be the next to join the main roster. Previous reports had former champion Shinsuke Nakamura remaining with the developmental brand indefinitely with no plans to bring him up, but now the word is making the rounds that he'll be debuting on one of the big two shows sooner rather than later.

Now that Bobby Roode has settled into his role as NXT champion and figurehead, it gives WWE the freedom to call the ageing Japanese superstar up to the big leagues. He doesn't have a lot of prime years left, and he didn't leave Japan and his immense popularity there behind to stick around the WWE's B-league, no matter how popular he is among their fanbase.

So now that Nakamura's debut seems to be on the horizon, it's time to take a look at the possible methods WWE could use to introduce him to their larger audience. Only a small percentage of the company's viewership watches NXT with any regularity and if he's to be successful, the best thing to do is to bring him in with as big of a bang as possible.

That "if" is conditional. His debut might not go as has hardcore following has in mind...

If you've been paying attention to Raw lately, seeds appear to have been planted for yet another Triple H-centric heel faction, this one sort of an NXT/Evolution hybrid. Samoa Joe was clearly brought in by Hunter to be his enforcer, and the COO has already aligned himself with Kevin Owens when he turned on Seth Rollins and helped KO win the Universal championship.

WWE has recently begun acknowledging the connection between the three on television, placing them in tag matches and segments with Hunter. This could easily end up going nowhere major, but it also has the potential to set Raw on fire with a legitimately threatening heel faction that could wreak havoc on Raw in much the same manner as Evolution and The Shield.

The group needs at least one more active member, if Evolution is indeed the template - and that man could be Shinsuke Nakamura.

Not only does he fit the criteria of former NXT champion as well as being "a Triple H guy", but he's been a face for the entirety of his time under the WWE umbrella. This would present an opportunity to swerve the fans who expect Swagsuke to be a full-fledged good guy when he does make his main roster debut.

A group featuring Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe and Nakamura brings with it instant credibility as a very serious threat. The three men could run roughshod over Raw, while the promotion's babyfaces band together to stop them

It gives Nakamura the rub of working with already established superstars, as well as the Triple H seal of approval. It would help make him an instant player in the eyes of even those fans unfamiliar with his stellar work.

Or, you could go a similar direction...