10 Things You Need To Know About Shinsuke Nakamura

Most fans weren’t really familiar with the name Shinsuke Nakamura until his main roster debut in Smackdown Live back in 2017. Nakamura is not only a beloved wrestler in his home country, but is now also one of the most promising (and heavily underrated) wrestlers in the WWE. Here are 10 things you need to know about the King of Strong Style.

He Was Born in Kyoto

Shinsuke Nakamura was born on February 20, 1980, in the town of Mineyama, Kyoto, Japan. Expatbets states that Kyoto is a beautiful city that marries Japan’s traditions with its modern culture. The same can be said of Nakamura himself, as he is both a vanguard of Japanese tradition as the “King of Strong Style” as well as an innovator in wrestling in both the east and the west.

He is The King of Strong Style

Forget his mediocre WWE moniker as “The Artist”. Let it be known that Nakamura is the King of Strong Style, a more realistic way of fighting in the ring. This style of fighting is like combining MMA with pro wrestling, complete with hard kicks, punches, and elements of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu submissions. While Strong Style is often criticized as being too stiff, Nakamura earned the title of King by disproving this notion with how well he flows.

He Has Written A Book

Nakamura cements his claim to the Strong Style throne with his book King of Strong Style: 1980-2014, in which he tells the story of his rise to fame in Japan. And if you can’t read Japanese, don’t worry, as SEscoops notes in its book review that the English translation in no way hinders Nakamura’s passionate storytelling.

His First MMA Fight Was Against a Gracie

It happened in 2002, at an event under Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye, a brutal MMA promotion in Japan. Nakamura lost the fight via submission, which was understandable as he fought against Daniel Gracie of the famed Brazilian fighting family. He went on to secure 3 wins and one no contest fight later in his MMA career.

He is the Youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion in History

Nakamura won the International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Heavyweight Title under New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) when he was just 23 years old. This happened back in 2003. For comparison, Randy Orton who is the same age became the youngest WWE World Heavyweight Champion at 24 years old.

He Has Fought Brock Lesnar

Nakamura is a three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, along with the likes of Brock Lesnar, whom he fought and lost to back in 2006. He has also fought WWE stars like Kurt Angle, Kevin Owens, and AJ Styles. This is why many of his fans are increasingly frustrated at his WWE match-ups, as there have been many missed opportunities in terms of dream rematches.

He Has Traveled and Trained Across the World

After he lost his attempt to take back the NJPW’s heavyweight title from Brock Lesnar in 2006, Nakamura left Japan to travel and train in the hopes of becoming a better wrestler. This led him to learn different wrestling styles in countries like Brazil, Russia, Mexico, and other places where he could train. This was also when he was invited by Lesnar to train at his personal gym in the U.S.

He Was Almost Signed by the WWE in 2006

When Nakamura was touring the world, NJPW President Simon Inoki opened the idea of loaning him to the WWE to learn more about North American wrestling. However, when Lesnar abruptly left the NJPW to become an MMA fighter in the UFC, Inoki made Nakamura stay in Japan. The NJPW was simply unwilling to lose two wrestling superstars at once.

Boma Ye Means “Kill Him”

Nakamura’s finishing move, Boma Ye, can be traced back to the central African language of Lingala. Translated to English, it literally means “kill him.” The phrase first became famous when Muhammad Ali used it in his fight against George Foreman in the historic “Rumble in the Jungle” that took place in Zaire, central Africa. Much like his wrestling style, Nakamura’s promo work hits hard and runs deep.

He Has Appeared in a Music Video

After the video for Pharrell William’s Happy was released, it was followed by different international versions. Nakamura appears in the Japanese version of the song. He was even joined by fellow NJPW star Kazuchika Okada, a five-time IWGP champion who is also reportedly being courted by the WWE.