Surprising or not, Shinsuke Nakamura didn’t watch WWE growing up.
The current NXT Champion talked to Channel Guide Mag and divulged some interesting information. He admitted to not paying attention to the company for which he now works, For reference, Nakamura would have been a teenager during the Attitude Era.
“Japan had a huge wrestling culture … So I was not really a fan of WWE as a child. It was much different than the Japanese style before. We had foreign wrestlers who came from America, Europe. Everyone from all over also ended up going to WWE. I did like Andre the Giant. I can’t imagine what it would be like to fight with him. I want to fight like him,” Nakamura said.
The 36 year old, Kyoto native was on top of the Japanese wrestling world prior to signing with WWE. He spent 14 years in New Japan Pro Wrestling and won pretty much everything possible in that promotion, form the New Japan Cup to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
While he had immense success in Japan, he loves the challenge of his new situation in Orlando.
“Almost every day I am at the WWE Performance Center. I have gotten a chance to talk with Terry Taylor. His opinion has been very interesting for me. He knows there is a psychology and certain things American fans like. I really enjoy studying from him. Most NXT guys are young guys. They keep me young working with them. They challenge me in a different way. I can teach them and also can study. I learn from them.”
A call up to Raw or SmackDown Live seems all but guaranteed for Nakamura. When he reaches the main roster, there are WWE superstars he definitely wants to face. One of which would be a rematch with the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar, whom he wrestled in Japan in 2006.
“If I get a chance, I would be up for that,” Nakamura said. “My body would need to be ready because he is tough. Ouch.”
