Making the Case for Shinsuke Nakamura to Win WWE Royal Rumble 2018

Shinsuke Nakamura standing in a cleared ring celebrating with his trademark dance moves as thousands of Philadelphia fans sing along to his entrance theme. Of the images WWE could craft at Royal Rumble 2018, that is among the most alluring.

A King of Strong Style win at the Rumble on Sunday would send electricity coursing through the veins of SmackDown's stagnant main event scene. It would propel Nakamura to the height where he belongs. It would deliver one of the most satisfying endings to the marquee pay-per-view in years.

WWE hasn't hit the mark when it comes to the Rumble winner of late.

Pittsburgh fans pushed back against Batista's victory in 2014. Philly made it clear it hated Roman Reigns standing tall the next year. Repeat winners Triple H and Randy Orton didn't exactly send the WWE fanbase into a fit of excitement. 

Going the "we've-seen-that-before" route in 2018 would be a mistake.

Could John Cena win his third Rumble on Sunday? Would WWE be misguided enough to let Reigns nab his second? Jake Barnett of ProWrestling.net brought up another unsavory possibility when he wrote: "Could you imagine another Randy Orton Rumble win and WrestleMania Main Event? Shudder."

Nakamura is not a Superstar fans are tired of seeing in a headliner role. He's only been on the main roster since April. 

He's fresh, unique, an amalgam of Freddie Mercury and Bruce Lee.

And a dominant run in the Rumble is just what Nakamura needs. WWE hasn't yet been able to take advantage of his charisma. He's a stick of dynamite with an unlit wick.

His feud with Jinder Mahal was a waste of his talents, a poorly written story with zero creativity. He's been spinning his wheel in tag matches and as a peripheral figure in other rivalries. 

New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Kenny Omega believes Nakamura just hadn't had the proper platform when he spoke to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated ahead of this year's Wrestle Kingdom: "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."

A Royal Rumble win where he knocks off big names and charges right into a feud with WWE champ AJ Styles could be exactly what Omega is talking about.

And that matchup would be something else. Nakamura and Styles tore it up when they met at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016. Bill Neville of The New Age Insiders podcast is among those enticed by the idea of them facing off again:

That would be one of the best bouts WWE could book for WrestleMania 34 in terms of match quality. Pairing two of WWE's top performers in a high-stakes bout is a no-brainer. Much like Styles' TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs bout in October against Finn Balor, a showdown with Nakamura would be a tour de force.

And it's not as though WWE would be reaching with a Nakamura win.

In a stretch where the company hasn't really built up anyone, The King of Strong Style looks and feels like a contender. He battled Mahal for the WWE Championship last year, and he owns a clean victory over Cena and victories over guys such as Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin.

Nakamura is 37. It's not like WWE can hem and haw for several years before investing in him as a top star. Now is the time to be bold and see what he can do with the bright lights of WrestleMania pointed down on him.

The plan for the Rumble needs to include a Nakamura win.