Shinsuke Nakamura Addresses In-Ring Future, Quoting Hiroshi Tanahashi At Japan House Show & Talks Goal Of Winning WWE World Title
Obtaining the WWE World Title is still on Nakamura’s goal list.
Coming out of AJ Styles’ farewell to Japan as he is set to retire in 2026, Shinsuke Nakamura, who was a part of that sendoff, sent out a tweet and noted that seeing Styles and John Cena on the backend of their careers reminds him that his time is not too far off.
Nakamura addressed that tweet when he was interviewed by Tokyo Sports. He stated that if one were to ask him about still wrestling 10 years from now, he’d have doubts, but if that was narrowed down to five years, it’d draw a ‘maybe’ response from him.
“Fortunately, I haven’t had many injuries, so it’s not like I have to retire right now. But nothing lasts forever. If you ask me about the next 10 years, I have my doubts, but if you ask me about five years, maybe. You never know what tomorrow brings, so I just have to do what I can now.”
On day one of WWE’s house shows in Japan, Nakamura signed off using Hiroshi Tanahashi’s catchphrase. Nakamura said the following about that:
“On the first day, I did what I needed to do and said what I needed to say. On the second day, I’m glad I could support AJ’s special feelings as a friend and a rival. (AJ) isn’t retiring today or tomorrow, though.”
Nakamura still has the goal in mind to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He thinks that is the one thing Japanese male wrestlers have yet to break through on in the USA.
“I believe in it, so I keep going. That’s the World Heavyweight Championship. I just want to win that. I think that’s the one thing that Japanese wrestlers, especially men, have yet to break through on this American stage. I don’t know if it’s proof, but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if I couldn’t do it. I hope I can leave some kind of path, or hope, for the next generation of Japanese and Asian wrestlers.”
Circling back to Hiroshi Tanahashi, he is going to have his final match at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January 2026. Fightful Select has a report which notes that Nakamura was internally discussed as potentially being Tanahashi’s final opponent, but NJPW views it as a ‘pipe dream.’
