Shinsuke Nakamura: 5 Dream Matches WWE Must Book for NXT Superstar

With how tremendously Shinsuke Nakamura kicked off his WWE career in a thriller against Sami Zayn, it's hard not to start palpitating thinking what it would be like if The King of Strong Style faced off against the likes of Seth Rollins or Cesaro.

Nakamura earned the reputation for being one of the world's best in-ring performers while starring for New Japan Pro Wrestling. In his new home, a wealth of dream matches await WWE's approval.

Vince McMahon and company will have their choice of stellar slugfests, rematches and technical masterpieces involving Nakamura. He's the type of wrestler to maximize every opportunity.

Choosing the best opponents for him involves projecting what kind of story WWE could tell with him and that rival, what kind of chemistry they would have, how their styles mesh or juxtapose each other and what kind of buzz the matchup would create.

Honorable Mention

• AJ Styles
• Kevin Owens

Before Shinsuke Nakamura stepped onto the WWE stage this year, he and AJ Styles killed it in Tokyo. Their match at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom show in January had critics raving.

ProWrestling.net's Will Pruett wrote of it, "Great psychology. Great near-falls. Great all-around big match. You must see this match."

WWE would know for sure that these two would be great together. There's also the built-in rematch narrative to work with. The only thing that sets it apart from other potential dream matches is that we just saw it. 

Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins, for example, would be fresh. Styles vs. Nakamura II wouldn't have that same sense of newness.

That's partly why Owens didn't make the list, either. He and The King of Strong Style collided in 2014.

And while the two wrestlers put on quite a show, it didn't have nearly the spark that Styles vs. Nakamura did. Projecting forward, one could imagine a handful of other WWE stars who could outdo an Owens-Nakamura rematch in that department.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar vs. Shinsuke Nakamura would pit two megastars against each other, having two big-match performers clash. Both men are the type to make any bout feel like a dream match.

This one would come with a subplot, too. Lesnar defeated Nakamura a decade ago when they met at a New Japan Pro Wrestling show in the Tokyo Dome. The narrative for this rematch would be that Nakamura wants to prove himself, to make up for that loss that has stung him for 10 years.

It also boasts a benefit of feeling fresh despite it being a rematch.

Nakamura hadn't yet developed his current persona when they first met. He had not yet reached his potential as a showman. Both his and Lesnar's stars have grown tremendously since.

This would feel far more massive this time around.

WWE could count on hard-hitting action blended with strong technical wrestling. Seeing whether Nakamura could knee Lesnar into a stupor or if The Beast Incarnate would devour the Japanese star would be a can't-miss event.

Cesaro

Picture Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro standing in the center of the ring, staggering each other with hard shots. The magic those men could produce in a slugfest would be stellar.

As David Wilcox of AuburnPub.com put it, "It's simple: Cesaro is the most dynamic wrestler in WWE, the one with whom Nakamura would have the biggest canvas to make a masterpiece."

Cesaro has steadily proved that he is one of WWE's top in-ring performers. His bouts with John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Sami Zayn provide a precursor of the kind of excellence to expect opposite Nakamura.

This doesn't have the ready-made story that The King of Strong Style facing Brock Lesnar would, but like Zayn vs. Nakamura, WWE could sell it as a meeting of two artists of the mat.

John Cena

John Cena has repeatedly said on screen that the next generation of stars will have to go through him. Should Shinsuke Nakamura take that as a challenge, WWE would have a marquee match at its disposal.

There is such an appealing dynamic at play between these two.

Cena represents the status quo. Nakamura's presence hints at an exciting future for WWE. Cena is a favorite of casual fans; Nakamura's fanbase is filled with diehards. 

And Cena's offense (heavy on power moves) would jell in compelling fashion with Nakamura's faster, strike-centered style. 

The story has great pull, too. Can the newcomer upend the residing alpha male? Can The King of Strong Style prove himself to be a top star by knocking off the long-reigning WWE flag-bearer? Seeing the in-ring narrative answer those questions would be huge fun.

This bout is a no-brainer. 

Samoa Joe

Only the smallest subset of WWE fans got to see Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe. At an NXT live event in Orlando, Florida, earlier this month, the two heavy hitters locked horns in nontelevised action.

Of that bout, PWTorch noted, "The NXT fans in Central Florida were treated to a dream international match."

Repeating that collision on a bigger stage is a must. The intensity promises to be incredible. The strike exchanges would be enthralling. 

WWE would be hard-pressed to find many sights better than Nakamura trying to chop down the powerhouse. 

The appeal of this matchup just shot up with Joe winning the NXT Championship in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Thursday. Nakamura seeking to take the title for himself is an easy, appealing story to tell.

This is a matchup WWE would be foolish to pass up before either man slides over to the main roster.

Seth Rollins

When asked what dream match he would most like to call, announcer Mauro Ranallo answered, "Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura."

He's not alone. This is an obvious matchup to book.

Rollins has showed himself to be one of WWE's most exciting in-ring artists in the past few years. With as agile and skilled as he is, he is sure to give Nakamura one of his best showings to date.

Expect this to look a lot like AJ Styles vs. Nakamura in terms of quality and style.

As for the narrative, Rollins could return from injury claiming to have beaten everyone on the roster before he left. Nakamura, though, arrived while Rollins was hurt. The Architect could tell the newcomer that he doesn't belong and that he wants to prove that in the ring.

A battle for the alpha male position would then kick off.

These two talented wrestlers would tear the house down if put in the same ring together. That's true of many potential foes for Nakamura, but there would be a special buzz around this clash, as it could be billed as a match between the cornerstones of the next generation.