9 Wrestlers WWE Has BENCHED
7. Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura’s 2025 has been a puzzling chapter in the career of the once-electric New Japan Pro Wrestling star.
After vanishing from WWE TV for much of 2024, Nakamura returned late in the year with a dramatic, samurai-inspired presentation and shockingly defeated LA Knight to capture the United States Championship at Survivor Series. It was an unexpected moment that hinted at a potential resurgence for the 'King of Strong Style'.
However, whatever momentum Nakamura generated quickly fizzled. His title reign felt more like an experiment than an acknowledgment of his experience or tenure, and with little character development beyond his reintroduction, the run felt like a creative afterthought. Disqualification defences and vague promo segments failed to give his reign the fire it needed and the reign came to an end in March when he dropped it right back to Knight ahead of the latter taking the gold to WrestleMania 41. The while thing like a rushed way to hit reset on both characters, and it ended any meaningful push for Nakamura.
Since then, Shinsuke's been AWOL again. A quick elimination in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was his only major appearance, making his use in 2025 all the more baffling. Now 45 but feeling older in TV years just shy of a decade into his WWE run, Nakamura remains under a deal but creatively adrift - so much so that plenty have wondered aloud if his next contract year could be his last.