It appears that an absent WWE Superstar could be making his return to WWE TV.
Shinsuke Namakura has not been featured on WWE programming in several months. His last appearance came during a match on the June 13 episode of WWE SmackDown. There, Nakamura competed in a 2025 King of the Ring qualifying match against Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest.
Nakamura has not been used since then, but that could potentially change. According to PWInsider.com, Shinsuke Nakamura was spotted by fans in Ohio on Thursday night. SmackDown takes place in Toledo on Friday night, making it likely that he’s in town for the show. Despite multiple people spotting him, it remains to be seen if he’ll be used on the show.
Although he has been absent and his return date is still unclear, Nakamura is also advertised for WWE’s tour of Japan in October. It’s also worth noting that eagle-eyed fans spotted Nakamura on last week’s show, but it was a background appearance. There, he was seen lurking around near United States Champion Sami Zayn in a backstage segment, possibly hinting at his plans whenever he does make his official on-air return.
This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown will feature the following confirmed matches and appearances:
Appearances by Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes
Carmelo Hayes vs. Sami Zayn (c) for the United States Championship
Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs. Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
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