Backstage Update On Shinsuke Nakamura's WWE Status

Shinsuke Nakamura hasn't wrestled a televised match in WWE since November of last year, but fans of the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion could soon find a reason to rejoice — it appears there may be plans for the company to utilize the 43-year-old star in the near future. According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer, Nakamura is "on hold" until after this weekend's WWE WrestleMania 39, indicating that the WWE star could hopefully be returning to TV soon.

Nakamura last appeared on an episode of "WWE SmackDown" in November, when he was defeated by Santos Escobar in the first round of the World Cup tournament. The Japanese wrestler then received permission from the company to take part in the retirement tour for The Great Muta, competing on a show for Pro Wrestling NOAH in early January. Since then, Nakamura has yet to stage a comeback on WWE programming.

Since debuting with the promotion in early 2016, Nakamura has racked up a number of impressive accolades within WWE. That includes winning the 2018 Men's Royal Rumble, capturing the WWE "NXT," Intercontinental, and United States championships twice each, and even gaining the "SmackDown" Tag Team Championship alongside Cesaro in 2020. However, his place on the roster has been undeniably spotty over the last several years. Though his partnership with Rick Boogs has shown a fair share of promise, Nakamura's prominence on the show has undeniably declined. Though he's been absent for nearly 6 months, it sounds as though there is renewed hope that Nakamura could find a worthy spot on television again soon.