Shinsuke Nakamura Is Too Big for NXT

Wednesday night was billed as "The End of the Beginning" for NXT, as the brand extension now looms large over WWE as a whole.

The needs of two separate brands mean that NXT is about to undergo a talent raid, as reported by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Cageside Seats). Certain candidates stand out from the crowd as being ready for the big show—and Shinsuke Nakamura is head and shoulders above the rest.

There is no shortage of accomplished, experienced wrestlers currently on the NXT roster.

Samoa Joe spent years at TNA wrestling for a national television audience on a weekly basis, Finn Balor was already a seasoned pro when he was signed and recent debutant Andrade "Cien" Almas was a top worker in the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) before heading north last year.

However, Nakamura is even more prepared to appear on one of WWE's flagship broadcasts than any of the stars above. The King of Strong Style was one of the biggest names in Japan for years, which shows every time he makes his way to the ring.

Credit: WWE.com

Nakamura has wrestled in front of tens of thousands in the Tokyo Dome. He's wrestled against a host of North American talent, both in Japan and during his appearances for Ring of Honor.

Perhaps most importantly, he's already got the majority of the NXT fanbase on board.

Simply put, he's ready for anything that WWE can throw at him. Look to his match with Sami Zayn at NXT TakeOver: Dallas for proof, if any were needed.

Zayn revealed in his appearance on Talk Is Jericho (h/t Wrestling Inc) that he and Nakamura never got into the ring to prepare for their highly anticipated match. The pair simply went out on the night and felt things out—and the results were remarkable.

Obviously, this was a clash between two of the best wrestlers in the world, so the match was always likely to be great. However, we've also seen the former International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) heavyweight champion bring the best out of talent much lower down the NXT pecking order.

Nakamura can have great matches with anyone he chooses to, is backed by an enormous wealth of experience and has already started to demonstrate that his charisma will not be lost in translation.

He's more than ready to be given a prominent position on Raw or SmackDown.

Keeping him in NXT is undoubtedly good for the promotion, but he's simply too big for the more niche audience that the broadcast appeals to. If New Japan Pro Wrestling signed Randy Orton, you wouldn't see it ship him out to Pro Wrestling Noah.

Credit: WWE.com

Of course, that's not to say that there was no reason for Nakamura to spend a spell in the developmental brand. Even since April, we've seen him grow more comfortable and familiar with his new surroundings, and as such he's become more capable of delivering the performances he's expected to without distraction.

Now he seems to be firing on all cylinders. Plucking him from NXT now would delay a few dream matches, but there are plenty more waiting for him on the main roster.

With the brand extension, WWE is putting itself into a situation where there's a need for more talent of the highest caliber. It's been great to see Nakamura shine in NXT, but now he's needed elsewhere.