Current NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura has a big match coming up this weekend, and with his title on the line and the Royal Rumble coming up just one day later, it’s perfectly natural to speculate on whether he might be one of the surprise entrants in the 30-man Royal Rumble match.
NXT honcho Triple H has been asked about the possibility of Nakamura coming to the main WWE roster pretty much since the moment the international superstar signed with the company. Previously, Triple H has said that Nakamura has a “clean path” to the main roster, but on a conference call on Thursday, he began speaking about a call-up as though it were an inevitability. Which it definitely is. (Thanks to Cageside Seats for the transcript.)
“[E]ven a guy as great [as Nakamura] … I wanted him to be here, I sang his praises, I’m the one who went after him, all those things, but there was still a curve coming in the door. He needed to have that experience in order to be successful on that main event roster. And he’s there. Now it’s just a matter of time of when it fits in and when he fits into that, to moving up to that main roster. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”
Is Triple H being coy? Sure. He always is. But he always chooses his words very carefully, and him saying “when, not if” is a level of distinction greater than his “clean path” comments.
It’s coming, everyone. It’s happening. Write your Styles/Nakamura II fanfic now. It’ll be obsolete soon.
