John Cena Forced WWE to Bring Shinsuke Nakamura to ‘SmackDown’
Shinsuke Nakamura made his WWE main roster debut on SmackDown this week instead of Raw because of John Cena. The WWE Universe has been patiently waiting for The King of Strong Style to make his debut on WWE television for awhile, but there was a lot of debate about him coming Raw or SmackDown before his debut. Unless something changes during the “Roster Shakeup,” WWE officials have chosen SmackDown.
There are various reasons why WWE officials chose to bring Shinsuke Nakamura to SmackDown instead of Raw. Nakamura was already a major star for WWE in NXT, so having him on the main roster is only going to increase his value to the company. It’s possible that WWE is planning to move him next week during the “Roster Shakeup,” but the expectation going forward is he will be exclusive to SmackDown for some time.
Nakamura will be incredibly successful on SmackDown, and he will be one of the top babyfaces in the entire company very quickly. WWE officials are going to push him strongly, but there is a specific reason why they felt Shinsuke was a better fit on SmackDown than on Raw. Surprisingly, one of the biggest reasons why the powers that be have brought Shinsuke Nakamura to SmackDown instead of Raw is because of John Cena.
John Cena has taken another hiatus to film a movie for the next few months. Many people are expecting his return to WWE to happen before WWE Summerslam, but there are rumors circling that he won’t be back to WWE television until sometime in the fall. Regardless, there is a lot of speculation about AJ Styles moving to Raw next week during the roster changes and John Cena’s absence forced WWE to make a huge move.
It’s being reported that the real reason why WWE officials decided for Shinsuke Nakamura to be exclusive to SmackDown instead of Raw was because of John Cena’s hiatus. The King of Strong Style has specifically been brought in to replace Cena during his hiatus as one of the top babyfaces in WWE and as the top face on SmackDown. Depending on what happens with AJ Styles next week, that role is Shinsuke’s for a long time.
Of course, WWE could have set up a near perfect scenario for SmackDown’s future. On paper, the fans want to see Nakamura vs. Styles inside a WWE ring. If The Phenomenal One stays on SmackDown Live after next week, that match could definitely happen at WWE Summerslam. As exciting as that match is, the real bout would be Cena vs. Nakamura once the former returns to WWE because their feud would be very important.
After the reception the WWE Universe in Orlando gave to Shinsuke Nakamura on SmackDown last week, it is undeniable that The King of Strong Style is going to take over the brand over the next few weeks. One of the bigger issues for WWE officials behind closed doors is keeping the SmackDown roster full of great talent to work with Shinsuke and help him replace John Cena as the top babyface on Tuesday nights.
In the end, John Cena’s hiatus may force WWE officials to keep AJ Styles on SmackDown when the rumors are claiming he is most likely headed to Raw. In Cena’s absence, Shinsuke Nakamura will become a top guy for WWE, which will only create another great feud for him when he returns to WWE at some point over the next several months. Many people were curious who would step up during Cena’s absence; it looks like the WWE Universe got their answer.
[Featured Image by WWE]
