Shinsuke Nakamura believes he can still win a World Championship in WWE

Shinsuke Nakamura will go down in history as one of the greatest Japanese superstars in the history of WWE. In almost a decade, "The King of Strong Style" has accumulated a good number of achievements, including his victory in the 2018 Royal Rumble, and eight championships, but none of them world titles. It's a thorn he still has time to remove, as he explained in a recent interview with Tokyo Sports.

"I believe in it, so I keep moving forward. It's the World Heavyweight Championship. I just want to win that. For Japanese wrestlers in this American setting, especially men, that's the barrier we haven't crossed yet," Nakamura said. "I don't know if it's a test or something, but sometimes I wonder what would happen if I couldn't achieve it. I hope to leave some kind of path or hope for the next generation of Japanese and Asians."

Nakamura was also asked about his future retirement as a professional, especially at a time when some colleagues like John Cena, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and AJ Styles are about to hang up their boots. Shinsuke assured that he is not worried about the end of his career yet, although he is fully aware that day is getting closer.

"Fortunately, I've hardly had any injuries, so it's not like I have to retire immediately," he said. "But nothing lasts forever. If someone said I have 10 more years, I would doubt it. If they said five, maybe. You never know what tomorrow will bring, so I just have to do what I can now."

Just one step away from becoming a Grand Slam Champion

Nakamura has three NJPW world championships under his belt, in addition to two NXT titles (equivalent to a world championship in WWE's developmental brand). However, he has not yet been able to add a top title on the main roster to his collection, which would allow him to enter the exclusive club of Grand Slam Champions (those who have won a world championship, a tag team title, the United States Championship, and the Intercontinental Title).

Opportunities have not been lacking. After his victory in the 2018 Royal Rumble, Nakamura chose his old friend AJ Styles as his opponent at WrestleMania, where the WWE Championship was at stake. However, "The Phenomenal One" managed to retain the gold. Later, the Japanese star began a prolonged rivalry with Jinder Mahal, again with the WWE Championship on the line, but the company decided to bet on "The Modern Day Maharaja" at a time when they were trying to expand in the Indian market.

Nakamura's last attempt dates back to January 2021, when he won a Gauntlet Match to earn a shot at the Universal Championship, then held by Roman Reigns. However, the Samoan used his power to force Adam Pearce to enter the match (restarted by the "Tribal Chief" himself) and cover the Japanese star after he was beaten by The Bloodline.