Why NJPW's Kenny Omega Is Right About WWE, Shinsuke Nakamura

Like a well-placed dropkick, Kenny Omega's comments on the current state of WWE and Shinsuke Nakamura's first year on the main roster were right on the mark. 

The New Japan Pro Wrestling star held nothing back in a recent interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. Much of it focused on Omega's big Wrestle Kingdom 12 match against Chris Jericho on Jan. 4, but WWE inevitably slid into the conversation. And The Cleaner delivered some hard truths about Vince McMahon's mammoth company.

This wasn't a case of a guy hyping his own promotion and bashing the competition out of loyalty. 

There is no denying Nakamura's SmackDown tenure has been underwhelming. There's little argument that NJPW's product is often more organic, electric and more consistently excellent at the top. Omega wasn't throwing shade, he was shining a light on some of WWE's nagging issues.

On NJPW vs. WWE

"I don't feel that WWE has anyone on the main-event level that can compete with us."

Roman Reigns famously called himself the world's best in-ring performer early this month. The Big Dog's confidence is admirable, but his analysis is off. NJPW's Omega, Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito have more of a claim on that title than him.

As talented a roster as WWE boasts today, nobody can touch New Japan's headline bouts. The storytelling and emotion that goes on during New Japan's biggest matches is unmatched.

Omega and Okada put on such scintillating classics this year that they essentially broke Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder Dave Meltzer's star-rating system. The veteran journalist began awarding bouts scores higher than five stars for the first time in his career.

If one were to compile a list of the top five performers in the world, maybe one WWE guy would get in (AJ Styles). NJPW would fill out the top three at least.

Wrestle Kingdom's marquee contest, Okada vs Naito, is going to outclass Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, the presumed WrestleMania 34 main event. That's easy to project considering recent history.

On Nakamura

"When I see Nakamura in WWE, it's hard for me to say he's done anything compelling in-ring since he's been there, which is a shame. It will just take the one right story and the one right moment and then people will be captivated by everything that he does. Right now, he hasn't had that."

Nakamura's NXT debut match against Sami Zayn was stellar, a grab-you-by-the-throat drama featuring two top-notch artists. We haven't seen anything close to that from The King of Strong Style on SmackDown.

There's a lower voltage to his bouts and too few standout moments. The difference between Nakamura's battles with Jinder Mahal and his best NJPW work is the difference between a toddler's finger painting and a Johannes Vermeer portrait.

The only Nakamura match that made WWE.com's list of 2017 top 25 matches was an NXT title clash. Nothing from his SmackDown run made the cut.

But as Omega pointed out, the former NXT champ just needs a strong rivalry and narrative to get things going. A showdown with Styles could very well by the remedy for what ails The King of Strong Style. Or else WWE getting a better sense of who Nakamura is and booking him accordingly.

On WWE's Micromanagement

"Even to another degree, everything in WWE is super over-booked. Some people in WWE even need the steps and their footing in the ring choreographed. They have to pace their breathing before they even go through with a match in the ring."

"Everything starts to come across as soulless, if that makes any sense."

WWE's over-scripting is a common criticism. Superstars don't get to explore their characters freely enough. The company's band of writers give them a rigid path to walk down.

That's led to guys like Baron Corbin not being nearly as charismatic onscreen as they are in real life. 

Wrestlers' dialogue is often unnatural and corny. The stars are asked to shoehorn marketing jargon like "the Ultimate Thrill Ride" into their promos.   

The perfect balance between controlling the product and letting the performers find their own way is something WWE hasn't struck regularly of late.

McMahon isn't going to listen to Omega's critiques, but he should. The Cleaner has seen a superior version of Nakamura on display in Japan. And he's seen creative freedom leave Jericho rejuvenated and at his best. Omega's thoughts rang true several times over.

Sometimes it's the outsider who offers the clearest view to one's inner workings.