Shinsuke Nakamura WWE Status Update: Clarification On RELEASE Rumors (WWE News)
Big update on the rumours that Shinsuke Nakamura and WWE were DONE
Shinsuke Nakamura is not leaving WWE. At least, not right now.
Nakamura's somewhat unexpected loss of the United States Championship to LA Knight on the March 7th edition of SmackDown has sparked speculation about his WWE future, particularly after the reign - kicked off with victory over Knight at Survivor Series 2024 - seemed to achieve virtually nothing . However, despite online rumours suggesting Nakamura may be on his way out, there appears to be no credibility to these claims.
Reports surfaced over the alleging WWE was “done” with Nakamura, with some even misattributing the statement to wrestling journalist Wade Keller thanks to a Reddit thread that quickly spread. However, Fightful has since debunked these claims, clarifying that Keller never made such a statement. Additionally, when Fightful inquired with WWE sources, they confirmed that "nobody we'd talked to had heard anything to lend credibility to Shinsuke Nakamura leaving WWE".
Nakamura’s WWE journey began in 2016 when he debuted in NXT following an illustrious career in New Japan Pro Wrestling. His arrival was met with great fanfare and one of his best ever matches against Sami Zayn at TakeOver: Dallas. He quickly captured the NXT Championship twice, solidifying himself as a major player in the promotion.
After transitioning to the main roster in 2017, he won the 2018 Royal Rumble and faced AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. Though his WWE/World/Universal Title ambitions didn’t materialise, Nakamura carved out a relatively successful career, winning multiple championships including the Intercontinental and United States Titles, as well as a reign with the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
The speculation about his potential exit did lead to lots of discussion on where he could/should land, but for now at least, he'll be staying put with the market leader.