WWE Superstar Finally Returns to TV After 4 Months (And With Their Best Music)

WWE’s Crown Jewel is about to get things started in Perth, Australia, this weekend, but that didn’t keep WWE from delivering a surprise or two during today’s SmackDown. That includes the return of a former Champion and longtime fan favorite to the ring, and while it would be big enough news that this superstar finally returned to TV after four months away, they did one better and brought back their previously (and superior) music.

WWE United States Champion Sami Zayn has been hosting a number of open challenges, and that’s led to some top-tier battles in Zayn’s quest to be a fighting Champion. Today, Zayn once again opened the door for challengers, and out walked Shinsuke Nakamura, who hasn’t been seen on WWE TV for four months. Even better was that when Nakamura hit his entrance, his old theme was back in action as opposed to the samurai-styled music that had been used previously, and it was great to not only see him in the ring but with his music intact.

Shinsuke Nakamura Returns to WWE and Immediately Jumps Into a Feud

Nakamura hasn’t been featured on WWE TV since the June 13th episode of SmackDown. That appearance had Nakamura in the first-round Fatal Four-Way for King of the Ring, and he would fall to Cody Rhodes. Since then, he was absent from TV, but that all changed a few weeks ago, though you had to be paying attention.

If you watched some of the backstage segments on SmackDown, you will have noticed that Nakamura was in the background at several points, teasing an eventual full return to the ring. No one knew who he would be facing when he did return, and now we have learned a few things about what’s next for him.

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The first is that Nakamura has pretty much ditched the darker tone of his heel character, which was in full effect during his brief United States Championship run. That includes the mask he used to wear over half of his face, which seems to be tied to a change in persona as well. Nakamura coming out to his old music was the first sign that he is a babyface now, and that was hammered home after Tama Tonga, who is also returning to TV, attacked Nakamura alongside the rest of the MFTs. It would seem that Nakamura will be facing Solo Sikoa’s deadly faction moving forward, and they are most certainly heels, so Nakamura is definitely the one to root for moving forward.

Shinsuke Nakamura Has Returned, So What Happens Now?

Nakamura held the United States Champion for 97 days between November 30th of 2024 and March 7th of 2025, and he would be dethroned by the previous holder of the Title, LA Knight. After that, the Title would move to Jacob Fatu for 69 days before Sikoa took the Title for 62 days. Zayn is the current United States Champion, and he has held it for 41 days so far and counting.

Nakamura’s most recent run had its share of ups and downs, with odd booking decisions removing some of the momentum that he first got thanks to a rather unexpected defeat of LA Knight. Nakamura maintained an intimidating vibe during this run, employing all sorts of heel antics to keep his Title, but there was something that didn’t quite connect with that previous run and overall Title reign. Now WWE has a chance to fix that, but he’s going to need to score some real wins and have some consistency as far as storylines go for that to happen. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out.

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