Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE Career Winding Down Amid Contract Speculation

The uncertainty surrounding Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE future just took another turn. While initial reports from PWTorch claiming WWE was planning to part ways with the former Royal Rumble winner were dismissed, a new update suggests those rumors may be true after all.

Speaking on the Wrestling Informer Podcast, Billi Bhatti shed light on Nakamura’s contract situation, detailing WWE’s hesitation in committing to long-term deals with him in recent years.

“Shinsuke Nakamura received a three-year deal in 2016 with main roster-level pay. However, by 2019, there was some reluctance to offer the same deal again. While Nakamura had a huge debut in 2017 and even won the Royal Rumble in 2018, WWE never pulled the trigger on making him champion. By the time his contract was up for renewal in April 2019, WWE was hesitant to commit to another seven-figure deal. In the end, enough people pushed for Nakamura, and he received a three-year extension, taking him into 2022.”

When 2022 rolled around, Nakamura should have been in line for a five-year deal, but according to Bhatti, there was hesitation on both sides.

“By 2022, someone like Nakamura should have received a five-year deal, as that had become commonplace for talents in his position. However, there was reluctance on both sides. Triple H felt strongly that he could rebuild Nakamura and do something meaningful with him, heavily involving himself in that effort. At the time, Nakamura was optimistic that the next three years would be better than the previous ones. Ultimately, he received another three-year deal, and he has had various pushes, particularly since Triple H took over creative control.”

Despite multiple attempts to restore his momentum, WWE still hasn’t fully capitalized on Nakamura’s star power, and now, it looks like his contract is set to expire soon. While the exact expiration date remains unclear due to potential owed time, WWE’s handling of Nakamura in recent weeks strongly hints that the company is ready to move on.

“However, it now appears that even Triple H cannot reignite the Nakamura we once saw in Japan. His contract is set to expire soon, though it may not be exactly in April 2025, as he likely owes some time to WWE. Whether the company decides to hold him to that time remains to be seen. Given that Nakamura suddenly lost the United States Championship on SmackDown this week, it seems likely that he will be leaving WWE shortly after WrestleMania—if not before.”

If Nakamura does get one last WrestleMania match, it may just be in a multi-man bout, but at this stage, Bhatti suggests that his WWE tenure is nearing its end.

“If Nakamura does compete at WrestleMania, he may be placed into a multi-man match, but ultimately, this could be the end of his WWE tenure. I don’t think we’ll see him in the company by the summer. It looks like WWE is moving on.”

If this really is the end of Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE run, it’s a wild way to go out. From winning the Royal Rumble to never capturing the top prize, his WWE career has been a rollercoaster of missed opportunities and flashes of brilliance. Now, with his contract reportedly winding down and WWE seemingly moving on, it’s only a matter of time before Nakamura’s next move is revealed.

Will he make one last WrestleMania appearance, or is the King of Strong Style already packing his bags? Only time will tell.

With his WWE run seemingly winding down, where do you think Nakamura will go next? Will he return to New Japan Pro Wrestling, take his talents to AEW, or go in a completely different direction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!