Shinsuke Nakamura made a name for himself in NJPW and was nicknamed the King Of Strong Style, but decided to make the jump to WWE several years ago, where he found a spot on the main roster.
This Sunday, a rare situation is happening when WWE allows Nakamura to wrestle The Great Muta (Keiji Muto) at the NOAH The New Year show on January 1st, 2023. The match was first announced in October.
While speaking to Yahoo Sports, Nakamura discussed the upcoming match, and during it, Nakamura revealed that Vince McMahon initially declined his request to face Muta. However, when McMahon resigned due to the hush money scandal, Triple H took over and approved the match.
Initial Reaction
“I was like, “No way. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think it would happen. It was something that would never have happened under the previous structure of the WWE. Noah came to me with the idea, and we discussed it, but my answer was no. Vince (McMahon, Chairman and CEO of WWE) stepped down in the summer, and I was advised by people within the company that it might be possible now. I still thought it would be difficult, but I even talked directly to Triple H (WWE’s vice president). When the decision was actually made, I was shaken.”
Nakamura noted that a big change happened between when Mutoh announced his retirement and when the match was decided, as a lot of changes happened when McMahon walked away. Nakamura admitted there was a feeling that many things would change in the future.
