Shinsuke Nakamura has been actively part of WWE for five years, officially signing for the company back in 2016. Like any other new arrival in WWE, the Japanese Superstar started his WWE career in NXT, even though he had tons of experience from Japan.
Since he started from the developmental brand, his first few pay-per-views were in NXT. Subsequently, he didn't take long to make his debut on the main roster. After his main roster arrival on SmackDown, he had an incredible first year and even earned the ticket to challenge the WWE Championship.
10 Money In The Bank (2017)
Nakamura competed in the regular Money in the Bank match in his first year when he faced Baron Corbin, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Dolph Ziggler. While he was a favorite to win the ladder match, he ended up having a disappointing night.
Before the match even began, Nakamura was taken out after a vicious attack from Baron Corbin. As a result, he was out of the match for a majority of the time until making his unexpected come back at the very last minute. In the end, Baron Corbin was victorious.
9 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Jinder Mahal (SummerSlam 2017)
With Jinder Mahal being the opponent, there weren't high exceptions from Nakamura's match at the 2017 SummerSlam PPV. Nevertheless, he got the chance to challenge for the WWE Championship for the first time in his career, and he beat John Cena to earn the deserving title shot.
As expected, it was an ordinary match, but Nakamura's skills and experience made it watchable. He suffered his first main roster pin-fall loss in that match, owing to interference from The Singh Brothers.
8 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Austin Aries (NXT Takeover: The End)
Nakamura wrestled in his second WWE PPV match at NXT TakeOver: The End, where he faced Austin Aries in a singles match. With two incredible performers, it was one of the best matches of the event, but the main event Steel Cage match between Samoa Joe and Finn Balor overshadowed it.
It was an intense battle, with the two men successfully connecting their signature moves. It took two consecutive Kinshasas from Nakamura to seal the victory.
7 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Baron Corbin (Battleground 2017)
Baron Corbin already hinted at a feud with Nakamura when he ambushed Nakamura at Money in the Bank. The incident led to a singles feud between Baron Corbin and Nakamura, and they met each other at Battleground.
The match was good, but the ending was disappointing. It looked like WWE was protecting the Money in the Bank briefcase holder, Baron Corbin, who went for a low blow and caused a disqualification, crowning Nakamura the winner of the match.
6 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Sami Zayn (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)
Shinsuke Nakamura's debut NXT match was at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in 2016. His first-ever WWE opponent was Sami Zayn. While the match was decent, Nakamura raised the standard in the black-and-gold brand so much that it wasn't among his greatest NXT matches. However, he made a positive first impression on the WWE Universe.
Nakamura locked Zayn in a couple of submissions at the beginning of the match, but Zayn found a way to counter. Nakamura kicked out a Blue Thunder Bomb from Zayn and connected two Kinshasas for the win.
5 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Dolph Ziggler (Backlash 2017)
Nakamura's very first TV match on the main roster was at Backlash. His first feud on the blue brand was against Dolph Ziggler and instead of making his main roster debut on SmackDown, he did at Backlash.
It was the perfect way to open the main show, as both Nakamura and Ziggler were at their absolute best. Nakamura caught Ziggler in a triangle but the latter escaped it. Nakamura also kicked out after getting a Zig Zag and a Super Kick. After a fantastic match of over 15 minutes, Nakamura emerged victoriously.
4 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Samoa Joe (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II)
Nakamura got his maiden NXT Championship shot within a few months after his debut. Samoa Joe, then the NXT Champion, fought Nakamura in a singles match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II.
It was a classic match, with the two Superstars showing great chemistry in the ring. Nakamura had to hit not one or two but three devastating Kinshasas to win the match as well as the NXT Championship for the first time.
3 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Samoa Joe (NXT TakeOver: Toronto)
The rivalry between Nakamura and Samoa Joe was one of the greatest feuds in NXT history because of their awe-inspiring matches as well as a 50/50 booking. While Nakamura captured the big gold in Brooklyn, the rematch in Toronto saw a different result.
Their rematch was even better than their first one, and both men tore the house down at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. Joe looked determined not to make past mistakes after avoiding Kinshasa a couple of times. Joe performed a Muscle Buster, a Coquina Clutch, and finally another Muscle Buster to recapture the belt.
2 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Bobby Roode (NXT TakeOver: San Antonio)
Like the first NXT Title reign, Nakamura's second NXT Championship run was short. Facing Bobby Roode at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, the King of Strong Styles dropped the gold within a month.
The match was one of the best Nakamura had offered to the black-and-gold brand. Lasting over 27 minutes, the fans saw both men executing every move in their arsenal. However, Nakamura failed to get the job done despite attempting his finisher twice. Roode gave two back-to-back Glorious DDTs to dethrone the champion.
1 Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Bobby Roode (NXT TakeOver: Orlando)
Bobby Roode and Nakamura raised the bar when the Superstars collided again in a rematch at NXT TakeOver: Orlando. Meanwhile, the match ended up being the final match of Nakamura in NXT.
It was one of the longest singles matches in Nakamura's WWE career, which lasted over 28 minutes. The hard-hitting battle saw Roode connecting the Glorious DDT twice to retain the title.