A recent episode of “Talk is Jericho” with Chris Jericho features former NJPW Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion, as we as current NXT Superstar—Shinsuke Nakamura. You can listen to the entire show RIGHT HERE.
Jericho and Nakamura are recording in their hotel on WWE’s recent tour of Japan. Jericho asks Nakamura what it’s like being back home, and the “King of Strong Style” says it’s “fun.” He says he enjoyed working with Jericho in a match that Y2J requested months in advance. Shinsuke says it’s strange returning home—as part of the WWE, no less—especially alongside AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. He notes that all four men gave their notice to NJPW within 24-hours of each other, and now they’re back less than six months later with a new company. He says they all have a lot of great memories at the Tokyo Dome and Sumo Hall, and it’s weird to be in these arenas he knows so well, but surrounded by all new faces. Jericho notes that Nakamura’s match in Japan was only his second match on the main roster, following a house show in Orlando three days prior. Since the time of this recording, Nakamura has toured Hawaii with WWE, and is rumored for the upcoming trip to Australia.
Jericho asks if moving to the United States and relocating his family to Orlando was strange. Nakamura says it wasn’t too weird, because he already had a lot of friends in the United States. He explains, “I’m always looking for something new. Like—new stimulation? I did a lot of things in New Japan, and then I need more. I need more and maybe I have to go to United States.” Jericho asks if Nakamura always had his sights set on moving to the United States. Nakamura makes a long-drawn out sound of uncertainty and finally says, “So—in 2002 to 2004—I trained MMA in Los Angeles. Also I trained pro wrestling in Los Angeles at the LA Dojo, the Inoki Dojo. Me, Daniel Bryan, and Lyota Machida—same apartment.” He says that he couldn’t speak English at all back then, now fourteen years ago, and says he’s far better equipped to live in America now. Jericho asks why Shinsuke was roommates with Bryan, who only spoke English, and Machida, who only spoke Portuguese? Shinsuke explains that the dojo owned the apartment, and used it for transplants with nowhere else to go. Daniel drove all the way down from Seattle, Machida came up from Brazil, and Shinsuke flew over from Japan.
Jericho is fascinated with Nakamura’s living situation in Los Angeles, and wonders how the three roommates were ever able to communicate? Nakamura says he tried to converse, and did his best to get through to Bryan and Machida, because he loves to talk. He explains that most Japanese people learn English beginning in junior high school, but only writing. He says a lot of Japanese people are embarrassed to speak English because the pronunciation is so different than what they’re used to. Nakamura admits he gets “L’s” and “R’s” mixed up frequently. Nakamura says he speaks broken English, as well as Spanish because he needs to be able to call matches in Mexico. He says the Spanish accent is easier for Japanese people to grasp than the American or English. Jericho notes that Shinsuke’s English-speaking abilities will undoubtedly improve now that he’s living in America where he’s forced to speak the native tongue.
Before the show began, Jericho said: “I had a great conversation with Shinsuke Nakamura, a future WWE Champion for sure.” He says that to Nakamura, and notes that there hasn’t been a huge Japanese star in America since the Great Muta. He rattles off a couple names including Tajiri, but finishes by saying Nakamura has the best chance at becoming a legit WWE main eventer. Nakamura says he’s noticed the lack of Japanese talent in recent years, but notes KENTA, Asuka, and even Kota Ibushi as rising stars within the WWE Universe. Remember, this was recorded several months prior to Ibushi even being announced for the Cruiserweight Classic. Jericho asks if Nakamura called WWE, or if it was the other way around. Without missing a beat, the exuberantly confident Nakamura replies: “Oh, they called me.” He says he started talking to WWE as early as 2014, and they wanted him to come in as soon as his contract with NJPW expired. He told WWE officials that he still had more to accomplish with New Japan, and said he needed one more year before he was ready to move on.
Shinsuke gives credit to Matt Bloom AKA Giant Bernard—AKA a hundred other names including Prince Albert and Tensai—with helping him in both signing with the company and transitioning to life in the United States. He’s known Matt since 2006, and says he knows his family very well, and was therefore instrumental in making things easier for everyone. He says he made the final decision to move to the United States and sign with WWE in August 2015. Jericho asks if it was difficult giving his notice to New Japan. Once again Nakamura emits an uneasy sigh: “Yes, that was difficult. That was hard. But Jedo and Gedo—and also Hatori—they understand. Because they’re wrestlers. They understand a wrestler’s life. They understand it’s kind of a dream for all wrestler, that everybody has. I need more, I need more, I need more.” Nakamura notes that his desire for more lead him to an MMA career, which he admits is much different than professional wrestling, and several tours of Mexico. He says he got in trouble down in Mexico, however, as that is where he began demonstrating the charismatic nuances he’s known for today. He began strutting and acting like Michael Jackson, and promotors cried angrily: “Hey! That’s not strong style! That’s not Japanese strong style!”
Jericho notes the change in Nakamura from the hard-hitting mixed martial artist to the King of Pop-inspired personality machine he is today. “In 2011 there was a huge ass-kick in Japan,” Nakamura says, “Tsunami came, power-plant, and too many people dead. I thought about my life, a life some just found very short, so I have to live what I want to be. Then everything changed.” Nakamura says he was originally inspired by Nakamura as a martial artist. He said his stance and athletic ability was paramount to his success in capturing an audience. He notes how Michael Jackson did amazing things in terms of his dancing ability, but never more than the audience could comprehend. He alikens that to professional wrestling, wherein he wants to do amazing things, but without diluting the magic of what makes them amazing.
Jericho throws it to a break, and when we return he asks if Shinsuke was a wresting fan growing up. He laughs, “Uh yeah. I was a maniac.” Jericho asks if Nakamura ever went to the arenas to see wrestling as a kid, and he says he grew up in the countryside—a seven hour drive to Tokyo. “Once a year or once a two year, New Japan would come to Mineyama.” He says that while he’s billed, and was born in Kyoto, he’s still a good distance outside the main city. “I lived near the Japanese Ocean,” he says, “Local TV had no pro wrestling. So if I go to the big city, I go to the book store and buy the magazines. Go to the wrestling stores and buy masks.” Jericho asks him to name some of his favorite wrestlers. He says he liked guys with masks because they were mysterious and they intrigued him to the point where he sought out their true identities—which couldn’t have been easy growing up in the Japanese countryside prior to the internet. He was especially captivated by Tiger Mask and even Steve Wright—the British father of WCW wrestler Alex Wright. Jericho asks if Shinsuke was ever able to meet the wrestler or get autographs, and Shinsuke says the first wrestler he ever met was 2 Cold Scorpio. Nakamura was always obsessed with the cruiserweights and wanted to be a cruiserweight himself. He even tried to hit a number of aerial maneuvers early in his career, but his taller-than-average frame made that rather impractical.
Jericho says that Nakamura is used to headlining the Tokyo Dome and huge arenas all over the world, and now he’s signed to NXT—the WWE’s developmental territory. He asks how that affects him psychologically and Nakamura says it doesn’t. He says the shows are smaller, but it doesn’t matter to him. “Look at it this way,” he says, “It’s a new experience for me. There’s a big difference between New Japan star and WWE star.” Jericho asks with whom Shinsuke likes to work most in NXT. He immediately names Tye Dillinger because he has the experience and understands proper timing. He also enjoys working with Finn Balor and Samoa Joe, and notes that he doesn’t work with too many different people in NXT.
Jericho asks how Nakamura’s family has adapted to living in the United States so far. He says his wife speaks much better English than he does—and he’s at least comprehensibly—so it hasn’t been very hard. He’s also found a local Asian food market, so it’s really not as difficult as people might expect. Jericho says it’s not so easy being an American and/or Canadian going abroad, because there aren’t readily available American Food Markets in Kyoto. Wrestlers and western tourists in general are pretty much relegated to the native cuisine or fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC. Shinsuke goes on to say that—also unlike the converse overseas—there are a variety of Asian neighborhoods comprised almost exclusively of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, or other Asian cultures. He says that his family needs to live near the beach, especially because he and his wife love to surf. He says he lived in a small town in Japan just a short walk from the nearest beach, and that’s something he’s come to take for granted.
The conversation begins to come to a close, and Jericho asks who some of Shinsuke’s favorite wrestlers to work in New Japan are. He says “all of them,” and then names a few choice people such Tomohiro Ishii. Jericho says it won’t be long before Shinsuke Nakamura is on the main roster, and asks if he’s had a lot of conversations with Triple H. He says not too many, but every time they talk, Triple H continues to praise his work and tells him to “be himself.” He’s also exchanged pleasantries with Vince McMahon, when he signed his WWE contract earlier this year. Jericho closes things out by asking who Nakamura wants to wrestle on the WWE main roster. After saying he’s already wrestled Chris Jericho, he names John Cena.
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