Huge AEW Conspiracy Theory Debunked (WWE News)

No, AEW did NOT block Shinsuke Nakamura from Wrestle Kingdom 20.

by Andrew Pollard
Shinsuke Nakamura 2023
WWE.com

With it now known that AEW's Kazuchika Okada will be Hiroshi Tanahashi's final opponent for the Ace's retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 20, there's a slightly odd conspiracy theory doing the rounds lately.

Prior to Okada being confirmed as Tanahashi's WK20 opponent, Kenny Omega and WWE's Shinsuke Nakamura were the other two names rumoured to take that spot at the turn of the year. Even when those reports claimed Nakamura was being considered, it was said at the time that this was viewed as a "pipe dream" by New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

In the aftermath of Okada vs. Tanahashi being announced, some sections of the online wrestling fanbase have suggested that Tony Khan and AEW stepped in to block Nakamura from wrestling Tana for one last time. Of course, AEW and NJPW have long had a working relationship, and so this logic was that Khan used this relationship to shut down any hopes of Nakamura vs. Tanahashi.

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Shooting down said conspiracy theory, Fightful Select reports that nobody in WWE had even heard of the Nakamura option being broached, reiterating that New Japan always knew that getting the King of Strong Style was a "pipe dream." On top of that, numerous NJPW sources confirmed to the outlet that there was no "AEW shutting down" Nakamura being Tanahashi's final opponent.

So, to again drive home the point, Shinsuke Nakamura was always an unlikely bet to be a part of Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement match, such a match was always a "pipe dream", and AEW didn't put a halt to NJPW bringing in Nakamura for a first singles match against Tanahashi since the final of the 2015 G1 Climax, and a first match of any sort betweent the two since a January 2016 six-man bout at NJPW Road to the New Beginning.

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For Kazuchika Okada, he's an ideal choice for Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement match, with the pair having shared the ring nearly 400 times as rivals or teammates, including three one-on-one matches at Wrestle Kingdom, and having also beaten each other for the old IWGP Heavyweight Championship several times over the years.

Wrestle Kingdom 20 takes place at the Tokyo Dome on 4 January.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.