Ranking Shinsuke Nakamura’s 10 Best WWE Matches So Far

5. Vs Austin Aries (NXT TakeOver: The End)

shinsuke nakamura
WWE.com

Possibly the most underrated match of either man's short tenure with the company, the Austin Aries/Shinsuke Nakamura at Full Sail University's last ever TakeOver card was a battle pitting the brand's newest hot properties against one another.

The match had an interesting narrative flowing through it, with the build-up honestly assessing how Austin Aries' much-touted debut had been overshadowed by the same night arrival of Shinsuke Nakamura.

On the evening the 'King of Strong Style' made an unreal first impression on WWE audiences, Aries snuck by Baron Corbin in a middling affair that proved unexpectedly to be the 'Lone Wolf's farewell match on the developmental brand.

Cool and confident, Nakamura accepted the challenge of the perturbed 'A Double', who looked to steal back his thunder with a victory. It wasn't to be.

In a belting midcard clash at TakeOver: The End, Nakamura outwitted and outwrestled the future Cruiserweight superstar, who was weeks short of a heel turn that would at last help him gather momentum away from Shinsuke's shadow.

The contest reached a blistering crescendo after the two matched each other for strikes with a series of breathtaking punches, kicks, knees and elbows in an increasingly athletic display. Aries nailed a death valley driver on the apron late on, but then horrifically missed a dive that would ultimately cost him. Smashing his face against the guardrail, Aries' needless risk left him open for a devastating Kinshasa.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 over 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 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana 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