Shinsuke Nakamura Returns to WWE on SmackDown – Shinsuke Nakamura made a surprise return during the October 10 episode of WWE SmackDown from Perth, Australia, accepting Sami Zayn’s latest United States Championship Open Challenge. The former Intercontinental Champion entered to his original 2016 theme, “The Rising Sun,” sparking a major ovation from the crowd.
In his first WWE match since June 13, 2025, Nakamura wasted no time reminding fans of his trademark strong style. During the hard-hitting contest, he connected with a powerful Kinshasa that nearly secured the victory, but Zayn managed to get his foot on the bottom rope just in time.
Before the match could reach its conclusion, chaos erupted. Tama Tonga stormed the ring, attacking Nakamura and forcing the disqualification. He was soon joined by fellow MFTs members Talla Tonga, Tonga Loa, and JC Mateo, who launched a full-scale assault on both Nakamura and Zayn. The faction left both men laid out in the ring, sending a clear message ahead of WWE’s next major events.
The encounter marked Nakamura’s return after nearly four months away from WWE programming. His comeback rekindled memories of his first-ever WWE match — also against Zayn — at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in 2016, a bout that many still regard as one of the greatest debuts in modern NXT history.
With this match, Sami Zayn has now completed six successful defenses in his United States Open Challenge series, having previously turned back challenges from Nakamura, John Cena, Carmelo Hayes, Aleister Black, Rey Fenix, and Je’Von Evans.
Shinsuke Nakamura Returns to WWE on SmackDown
