Shinsuke Nakamura's 10 Best Matches In NJPW, According To Cagematch.net

Modern wrestling fans know Shinsuke Nakamura for his WWE antics - whether it is for his infamous theme music, his run as King Nakamura or playing guitar with Rick Boogs, that is how WWE has positioned him to their audience. However, fans of his work prior to WWE know that Nakmaura is much more than his in-ring mannerisms or strange championship runs in the company. His previous run in New Japan Pro Wrestling showcased him as the superstar that he is capable of being.

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Nakamura has the capability to carry a promotion on his back, and he proved that during his New-Japan tenure. With some spell-binding matches in his years in multiple divisions, fans of his work know that he is so much more than WWE has utilized him as in their company. When given the opportunity, Nakamura can produce some incredible professional wrestling matches.

10 Vs Tetsuya Naito - 9.05

The Grade One - or G1 - tournament is one of the bright spots for New Japan Pro Wrestling and has an incredibly storied history. Dating back to 1974, the round-robin tournament features the best singles competition that the company has to offer competing over a four-week period to crown the best wrestler of that year.

In 2011, Shinsuke Nakamura won seven of his matches in the tournament to be crowned the winner, last defeating the "Stardust Genius" Tetsuya Naito in a critically acclaimed match. While he was unable to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship following his tournament win, this match solidified him as a main event player for the company.

9 Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - 9.16

At the height of the company's popularity, New Japan arguably had some of the best Japanese talents at all levels of the promotion. While the IWGP Heavyweight Championship is the most prestigious championship for the promotion, incredible wrestlers made the IWGP Intercontinental Championship feel just as important by going to incredible lengths to win it.

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After winning the 2014 New Japan Cup, Nakamura opted against using his championship match for the Heavyweight championship and instead focused his efforts on regaining the Intercontinental championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi at Invasion Attack 2014. His decision proved correct as he was able to regain the championship and showcased why he should be considered the cornerstone of that division.

8 Vs. Tomohiro Ishii - 9.21

On route to the finals G1 2014, Shinsuke Nakamura put on some great performances and overcame many obstacles. Whether it was gajin talent like DH Smith or Shelton Benjamin or homegrown talent like Katsuyori Shibata, Nakamura worked hard to defeat everyone in his path.

Participating in Block A of the tournament, he faced no strong opponent on his path than the strong Tomooro Ishii. While Nakamura is known for his strong-style arsenal, there are few New Japan talents who can brawl better than Ishii, and Nakmaura earned his victory the hard way in an incredible match.

7 Vs. Kazuchika Okada - 9.28

When it comes to superstars that New Japan has produced, they do not come any bigger than Kazuchika Okada. The Rainmaker has not only produced incredible quality matches during his reign on top of New Japan, but he has solidified himself as one of the best in the wrestling business today.

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While Okada and Nakamura had crossed paths in singles competition before, it was earlier in their careers before they hit the peak of their abilities. In the finals of the 2014 G1 Tournament, they were both established stars with a previous tournament win to their credit and were both vying for a second. In a match that showcased both of their strengths, Okada came out the victor to secure the second G1 win of his career.

6 Vs. Kazuchika Okada - 9.37

Only one year after they faced in the finals of the G1 tournament, both Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakmaura were placed in the same block in the 2015 tournament. While they would not meet in the finals of that year, this match was arguably better than their previous encounter.

With both men hungry to prove that they belonged back in the finals that year, they put on an incredible display during the eighteenth day of the long tournament, after already having numerous matches under their belt. Ultimately, Nakamura would become victorious this time around and even made the tournament finals that year, with his stock only strengthened by defeating Okada.

5 Vs. Kota Ibushi - 9.44

In New Japan in 2013, two things were certain heading into the G1 Climax that year - one is that Shinsuke Nakamura had already established himself as a star in the company, and second that Kota Ibushi was on route to becoming the future for the promotion. So when their patches crossed in singles competition for the first time during the tournament, fans saw magic inside the ring.

Ibushi had yet to establish himself as the top performer that he is known as today in 2013, but by working with established talent like Nakamura during the tournament, he showcased skills that fans knew he had.

4 Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - 9.51

While the 2011 G1 Tournament would be Nakamura's winning year, the nights he did not have a tournament match also put him in some big match situations. In New Japan, matches do not get much bigger than a shot at the World Championship, which has held by Hiroshi Tanahashi at the time.

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The Ace of the Universe and The King of Strong-style had met many times in the ring before and had consistently traded victories throughout their career. On this night with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line, Tanahashi came out on top to retain his championship, but it would only be a rest stop on route to Nakamura winning the historic tournament.

3 Vs. AJ Styles - 9.54

While AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura have crossed paths many times today through their respective times in New Japan and WWE, their very first encounter was the one that opened many eyes to the magic these two could create in the ring.

With the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on the line at Wrestle Kingdom 10, Styles and Nakamura put on one of the best matches of both of their careers. With memories of their failed WrestleMania encounter still fresh on fans' minds, this match serves as a time capsule for just how good both performers can be in the right situation.

2 Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - 9.64

Only a few wrestlers have won the G1 Tournament on multiple occasions, as it is incredibly difficult to do so. Given the talent involved in the tournament each year, coming out on top of the round-robin format is not an easy task and both Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi were striving to do so in 2015.

After crossing paths many times before, this time there was no championship on the line when they met in the finals of the tournament. Ultimately, this would be Nakamura's final G1 tournament before he departed the company for NXT, and Tanahashi would have his hand raised at the end of the night.

1 Vs. Kota Ibushi - 9.72

On a card like Wrestle Kingdom 9, it is difficult for individual wrestlers to stand out when there are so many great talents showcased on the show. With wrestlers like Okada, Tanahashi and AJ Styles all striving to steal the show, every wrestler was on their A-game that night.

However, it would be out of the realm of possibility to say that Nakamura and Kota Ibushi stole the show that night in their IWGP Intercontinental Championship match. As Nakamura's highest-rated New Japan match, they pulled out all the stops in this infamous match and even decided to bump fists at the end to show their respect for one another after the great display of athleticism.