When was the last time Shinsuke Nakamura wrestled in the WWE ring?

With the news of Shinsuke Nakamura's return next week, his last match in WWE has become a matter of curiosity among the fans.

When was the last time Shinsuke Nakamura wrestled in the WWE ring?

Shinsuke Nakamura (via Instagram)

Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the most venerated superstars in the pro wrestling industry. His long list of accomplishments personifies his esteemed career. However, the fans haven’t gotten a glimpse of The King of Strong Style in WWE in a long time. As a result, the memory of Nakamura’s last match in WWE seemingly started to fade away from the minds of the fans.

This week on SmackDown, WWE announced that Shinsuke Nakamura will return to WWE after a long hiatus. As a result, the fans are on the edge of their seats to see the former US Champion make his highly anticipated return. Nakamura has been one of the most prominent stars on the main roster. However, the fans haven’t seen him in WWE programming since last November.

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Shinsuke Nakamura

Back in November, WWE held a SmackDown World Cup Tournament on the roster. Various superstars representing different countries battled in an epic bout to get a shot at Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship. However, Shinsuke Nakamura was one of the participants in the contest. Nakamura wrestled his last match in WWE on the November 11, 2022, edition of SmackDown.

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The King of Strong Style competed against Santos Escobar in the first round of the SmackDown World Cup Tournament. There was back-and-forth action in the match with the two superstars displaying their athleticism. However, Nakamura failed to grab a victory as Escobar managed to win through ringside interference in the match.

Ever since then, the fans haven’t seen the former Intercontinental Champion in WWE programming. However, as WWE announced his return for next week, it left the fans exhilarated. It will be interesting to tune into SmackDown next week to behold the return of the King after five months.

Related: “I was horrified,” Shinsuke Nakamura reflects on his match against Great Muta

Where was Shinsuke Nakamura?

Shinsuke Nakamura and The Great Muta
The Great Muta vs Shinsuke Nakamura (via Reddit)

Shinsuke Nakamura has been on hiatus from WWE for a long time. The 43-year-old went to Japan for the legendary The Great Muta’s farewell match. Without a doubt, The Great Muta is one of the most iconic names in pro wrestling. As a result, Nakamura wrestled the Hall of Famer in his retirement match at Pro Wrestling NOAH, which was held during the New Year.

The wrestling fans got to behold one of their dream matches between the two Japanese icons in the pro wrestling industry. Nakamura handed the legendary Great Muta his final match before his retirement from pro wrestling. However, the WWE star took a page out of his book when he used the Green Mist followed by a Kinshasa to grab a victory.

After the match, Shinsuke Nakamura showed tremendous respect for The Great Muta. He expressed his gratitude, calling the Hall of Famer his idol. Following his retirement match, WWE inducted The Great Muta into the prestigious Hall of Fame this year.

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