Could, would, should. Three words that rhyme. They’re also three words that ask a question, and I’m asking some questions right now. I’ve got questions about Shinsuke Nakamura becoming the next United States Champion.
Before his unfortunate canine-related injuries, Shinsuke Nakamura was supposed to face Jeff Hardy for the United States Championship. This, of course, was because Nakamura punched Hardy in the dick. Hence, the match.
Before people knew Nakamura was injured, they had already assumed he would be picking up the victory and the championship. Now that question is up in the air, and there are even more questions.
could shinsuke nakamura become united states champion?
This one seems like a stupid question. Of course he could, theoretically. After all, this is a pre-determined sport. If it was decided that R-Truth would become WWE Champion right now, then he would be the WWE Champion right now.
I’ll flip the question a bit. I’ won’t ask if Shinsuke Nakamura could become the United States Champion; I’ll ask if he could make a great United States Champion.
If you are a Nakamura fan, then this may seem like a no-brainer. Of course he could! He’s got skill, charisma, yadda yadda. Unfortunately it’s not that simple; the champion himself is only one part of what makes a great reign. Imagine if Seth Rollins won the WWE Championship again, but then only defended it against Mike Kanellis and Mojo Rawley. Not so cool, right?
If the Artist were to beat Hardy for the title decisively, who would be next to face him? A quick look at Smackdown’s roster provides us with a few options: a New Day member, Sin Cara, Tye Dillinger, and R – Truth. Maybe Rusev. Point is, barring the New Day and Rusev, that’s not exactly top competition.
But if Shinsuke Nakamura were to have great matches while defending his title, then it wouldn’t matter who his opponents were. So if the King of Strong Style were to have entertaining programs with, say, Tye Dillinger (their match on Smackdown a few weeks ago was pretty good) and Sin Cara, then his reign would already be considered great.
would shinsuke nakamura become united states champion?
This question is phrased sort of weirdly, but alas, it’s the format of the column. Would Shinsuke Nakamura become United States Champion? Or, rather, would WWE let Shinsuke Nakamura become United States Champion (again, pre-determined).
WWE hesitated to pull the trigger on Nakamura during his feud with AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. At the same time, he’s not exactly a scrub. He won the Royal Rumble, and he’s defeated both John Cena and Randy Orton cleanly. It’s hard to gauge just how highly Nakamura is regarded, but if I had to guess, I’d say “highly.”
Sure, WWE may have decided not to let Shinsuke win the WWE Championship, but there’s no reason he can’t win the United States Championship. It’s less high-profile, so there’s more room to experiment. Nakamura’s already shown he can deliver at a high level (he doesn’t have as many great matches as Styles, but he’s got a few). Plus, at one point, it seemed like they were giving everyone the United States Championship (Corbin, Ziggler, Roode, Orton, Mahal, and now Hardy all in a bit over six months).
I see no reason why Shinsuke Nakamura wouldn’t become United States Champion.
should shinsuke nakamura become united states champion?
Right now, I see no reason why he shouldn’t become United States Champion. He reinvented himself with a shocking heel turn, and he is now arguably one of the top heels on Smackdown (it would have been Big Cass, but he got released). A run with the star-spangled belt could solidify Shinsuke’s spot in the upper reaches of the card.
Plus, there’s a lot of potential for great matches. A proper match between Nakamura and Tye Dillinger for the red, white, and blue could really be something great. I’d assume Sin Cara and Nakamura could do something great as well. But the real money is in potential showdowns with Rusev, and maybe even a returning Randy Orton. Those are money matches.
I say WWE should go for it. Let Shinsuke hold the red, white, and blue belt. What’s the worst that could happen?
