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Following his arrival in WWE back in 2016, expectations were high from fans for what Shinsuke Nakamura could do in the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, but it's safe to say it hasn't gone all too well. In fact, the same fans who were so elated to see the star join Vince McMahon's company have grown to hate what he has become during his time there.
His time with WWE actually started off strongly, with his debut match against Sami Zayn wowing audiences immediately, and his NXT run as a whole was superb. It offered promise for the rest of his career in the promotion, but things quickly went sour following his main roster debut, as so many NXT call-ups have.
Fans familiar with Nakamura's work in New Japan are less than thrilled with how his time in WWE has panned out and here are a few reasons why.
He's Forced To Wrestle The WWE Way
Before joining WWE, Shinsuke was regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in the world and certainly one of the best in New Japan history. His innovative offense and the wide variety of moves he used made him one of the best to do it, but following his arrival on the WWE main roster, he has been forced to limit himself and wrestle the style in which the company often forces its stars to work.
Gone are the days he could show off his deep arsenal of moves, and instead fans are forced to watch as one of the greatest wrestlers on the planet is restricted to the same limited moveset every time he steps inside the squared circle. While this may not be a big deal to audiences who aren't familiar with just how good Nakamura was in Japan, it is incredibly frustrating for those who came to love the King of Strong Style for his work there.
This obviously isn't entirely Shinsuke's fault as WWE is known for forcing wrestlers to limit their arsenal and work in a much more conservative and safe style, but that doesn't stop fans from being unhappy that the man capable of putting on five star matches every day of the week is so comfortable letting it happen.
He Has Lost His Passion For The Industry
A major reason fans have soured on Nakamura during his time in WWE is the perceived notion he has lost a lot of the passion he once held for the wrestling business. They believe he no longer cares about the industry, or the work he produces in it, but is more interested in collecting a large paycheck from Vince McMahon before he finishes his career.
While it's easy to see why this may upset some wrestling fans who have been following Shinsuke's career for quite some time, it's hard to blame the star for caring more about the financial aspect of his career at this stage than just about anything else. Nakamura is 42 years old and probably knows his days inside the squared circle won't last forever. He is perfectly entitled to ensure he makes as much money as possible before he hangs it up for good, to ensure he and his family are financially well off heading into his retirement.
With that being said, it is disappointing to see the man seemingly care so little about the abysmal push he has received in WWE, and how he is completely fine with being portrayed as the goofy, mid-card character he has been shown to be over the last few years, especially after he became such a world-renowned star in Japan.
He Has Lost The Superstar Aura He Had In Japan
One problem with WWE's poor long-term booking of certain talents is that it can severely damage their reputation and ruin any of the impressive reputation and aura they built for themselves before arriving in the company.
Shinsuke arrived in WWE as a made man and was typically thought of as one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling outside of the promotion, but after almost five years of poor booking, he no longer feels like the superstar he once did. He has been portrayed as a goofy, often comedic act for so long now that fans feel his time as a main event level star, especially in WWE, is long gone.
That's not to say he wouldn't be a superstar if he ever returned to Japan, he probably would be, but there's no denying his time in WWE has diminished that light quite a bit.