A WWE superstar who has been absent from television for months could be poised for a return. According to a new report from PWInsider.com, former WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura was spotted by fans in Ohio on Thursday, September 18. He is in town for tonight’s Friday Night SmackDown in Toledo, sparking speculation that his hiatus from the company may be coming to an end.
Nakamura has not competed in a match since this past June and has been off television for over three months. Nakamura’s last appearance on WWE television was on the June 13 episode of SmackDown. On that show, he competed in a King of the Ring qualifying triple threat match against Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest. Since that loss, he has not been featured in any storylines on the blue brand.
Nakamura was one of the biggest stars in NJPW when he signed with WWE in 2016. His arrival in NXT was met with massive fanfare, and he quickly captured the NXT Championship on two separate occasions, having rivalries with stars like Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode. Since moving to the main roster, Shinsuke Nakamura has continued to build his legacy. In 2018, he won the Men’s Royal Rumble match, earning a WWE Championship match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34.
While he was unsuccessful in that bout, he’s had two reigns as the United States Champion and a run with the Intercontinental Championship. WWE has confirmed the following matches for SmackDown:
- Brock Lesnar appears
- Cody Rhodes appears
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Sami Zayn (c) for the United States Championship
