All Aboard the S.S. Strong Style: Shinsuke Nakamura’s 2015 in review!

Shelly Deathlock cares too much about Japanese wrestling and, as Captain of the S.S. Strong Style, she’s here to welcome you on board and fill you in on what’s going on in the world of puro.

Hello, wrestling fans! Last year, after New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 9, Wrestling on Earth published a helpful guide to Shinsuke Nakamura for all those newly afflicted by whatever black magic it is that he casts over an audience: What to Do Now That You’re Ready To Accept Shinsuke Nakamura As Your Pro Wrestling Lord and Savior.

As of this week, NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 has come and gone, another crop of fans has fallen hopelessly in pro wrestling love with the King of Strong Style, and several “news” outlets (and, okay, Tokyo Sports) are reporting that Shinsuke Nakamura has resigned from NJPW and will be making his way to World Wrestling Entertainment.

I can’t confirm or deny any of the latter since I’m just a fan on the Internet who writes things sometimes and not someone who goes poking around in the business of other people to get scoopz. You want a subscription to the Scoop Zone for that kind of action.

In any case, it seems like a good time to recap Shinsuke Nakamura’s 2015 and prime everybody for what will apparently be an interesting year for all of us.

What were Shinsuke Nakamura’s best matches in 2015?

What a great question! Last year I listed my personal favorites for 2014. In 2015, he had some widely-acclaimed incredible matches that are worth going out of your way to see as soon as possible:

• Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs Kota Ibushi, Wrestle Kingdom 9
• Kazuchika Okada vs Shinsuke Nakamura, G1 Climax Day 18
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura, G1 Climax Finals

And many others that people liked a lot:

• Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs Yuji Nagata, New Beginning in Sendai
• Shinsuke Nakamua vs Roderick Strong, Global Wars Night 2
• Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs Hirooki Goto, Wrestling Dontaku
• Hirooki Goto (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura, DOMINION 7.5
• Shinsuke Nakamura vs Yuji Nagata, G1 Climax Day 4
• Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Marty Scurll, Global Wars UK
• Hirooki Goto (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura, Destruction in Kobe
• Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs Karl Anderson, Power Struggle

You can find his matches on NJPWWorld, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s online streaming service (where you can watch shows both live and archived). Here’s how to sign up:

1. Go to NJPWWorld’s English signup page at https://njpwworld.com/auth?lang=en
2. Sign up & select a payment method (I use a credit card & my bank has no problem with the international transaction; others have been able to use pre-paid Visas and the like).
3. Watch wrestling!

If you want even more Shinsuke or you’re finding NJPWWorld difficult to navigate in spite of Google Translate, check out SenorLARIATO’s list of recommended matches with direct links, I can’t praise it highly enough.

What’s Shinsuke Nakamura’s online fan base like?

Amazing and fun and smart and creative! Welcome!

Check out a bunch of us (and some other relevant fans I guess, like Masahiro Chono & Hiroshi Tanahashi) in the #babeswithshinsuke tag on Twitter and feel free to contribute your own photos with him (you’re all babes, deal with it)!

Check out all the incredible Japanese fan photographers and worldwide artists by following @DailyNakamura which RTs all the good stuff from:

@ricocame

中邑選手 pic.twitter.com/577X5WPVbw

— リコ (@ricocame) August 27, 2015

中邑真輔選手 pic.twitter.com/b9WNv9NNTF

— リコ (@ricocame) August 19, 2015

@rixiashin

2016.1.3 大プロレス祭り 中邑真輔選手 #njpw #njwk10 pic.twitter.com/WDHBNFnzAa

— りょこち (@rixiashin) January 3, 2016

20151101 後楽園ホール SHINSUKE NAKAMURA #njpw #njpst #yeaoh #中邑真輔 pic.twitter.com/Q1eLzItk20

— りょこち (@rixiashin) November 3, 2015

2015.11.20 公開記者会見 中邑真輔選手 #njpw #njwtl pic.twitter.com/dUvSzVYw6H

— りょこち (@rixiashin) November 21, 2015

@Ss13y5

2015 09 27 神戸ワールド ・中邑選手 ❶ pic.twitter.com/oi19wNg1BZ

— sa^^ (@Ss13y5) September 27, 2015

2015 09 27 神戸ワールド ・中邑選手 ❸ pic.twitter.com/qC2h0ObqMh

— sa^^ (@Ss13y5) September 28, 2015

@dreamtapir

中邑真輔選手デビュー13周年おめでとうございます。 14年目の中邑真輔が放つ蒼い炎のゆらぎを見逃さないように追いかけさせてください。 #中邑真輔 #ShinsukeNakamura #BomaYe #yeaoh #njpw #猫っ毛 pic.twitter.com/dciRx3XqWc

— ゆめばくさん。 (@dreamtapir) August 29, 2015

@matsu_bomaYe

中邑選手がワープロスペシャルで描いてらした絵がとても素敵でした。うつくしんさままくり?? #njwk10 #yeaoh #中邑真輔 #ワールドプロレスリング pic.twitter.com/YRuAqLdZ4y

— 松 (@matsu_bomaYe) January 5, 2016

新日本プロレスbi-monthlyの中邑選手のインタビューの「中邑真輔総動員」というお言葉に、頭の中がこんな状態です…！！っょぃ(๐›ω‹๐)੭ #njpw #yeaoh #中邑真輔 pic.twitter.com/VAketsubQy

— 松 (@matsu_bomaYe) October 3, 2015

@kyobashi_

行ってらっしゃい！ 良い旅を！ #世界へ羽ばたく中邑真輔選手に一言 #繋がらなくていいからプロレスを見てくれ #yeaoh #njpw #WWE #中邑真輔 #BonVoyage pic.twitter.com/hOZU4alDhV

— 京橋 (@kyobashi_) January 7, 2016

目にやさしくない中邑選手のPC用壁紙を描きました。 #njpw #yeaoh #中邑真輔 #pink #njdest pic.twitter.com/fMVrrXlqcp

— 京橋 (@kyobashi_) October 4, 2015

ROAD TO TOKYO DOME 開幕Yeaoh !! #njwk10 #wk10 #njpw #yeaoh #中邑真輔 #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/AxiKYSU0YX

— 京橋 (@kyobashi_) December 11, 2015

@punkrockbgmouth

K.O.S.S. pic.twitter.com/IZB3oiZqmF

— PRBM (@punkrockbgmouth) November 19, 2015

Shinsface #njpwfanart #yeaoh pic.twitter.com/LH0IKWOufR

— PRBM (@punkrockbgmouth) January 7, 2016

Red Vest @ShinsukeN #yeaoh #animatedgif pic.twitter.com/f0WhyZkJBv

— PRBM (@punkrockbgmouth) May 25, 2015

King @ShinsukeN #njpwfanart pic.twitter.com/OLjKHoGPOz

— PRBM (@punkrockbgmouth) February 23, 2015

Say Cheese @ShinsukeN #thisismyhappyface #njpwfanart #beauty pic.twitter.com/d0uOo0K41I

— PRBM (@punkrockbgmouth) May 6, 2015

@tashalethal13

Merry Xmas from /me and/ Ninja-Suke (*^ω^*)☆ﾟ.*･｡ #njpw #njpwfanart pic.twitter.com/2l6GdfrYnc

— Natasha S. (@TashaLethal13) December 24, 2015

Digital illustration of @ShinsukeN ? and @AJStylesOrg ✨ #njpw #njwk10 #yeaoh pic.twitter.com/lcY9eDqPlN

— Natasha S. (@TashaLethal13) December 30, 2015

HAPPY NEW YEA(OH~!) ✨ #yeaoh pic.twitter.com/1D1RDgNWhQ

— Natasha S. (@TashaLethal13) January 1, 2016

@D_Tapla

Shinsuke Nakamura #njpw #njpwfanart pic.twitter.com/c73ZwL788Y

— MAD TAPLA! (@D_TaPla) November 2, 2015

I’m still waiting @njpw1972 coming back to Thailand again next year and hope @ShinsukeN will sign this fanart! #NJPW pic.twitter.com/0Vv7TCAHvj

— MAD TAPLA! (@D_TaPla) August 31, 2014

“THE KING AND HIS CARD” @ShinsukeN‘s fanart from Wrestle Kingdom 9 #NJPW #NJPWFanart @njpw1972 pic.twitter.com/prVwyBq8cZ

— MAD TAPLA! (@D_TaPla) January 21, 2015

Oh wow, Shinsuke Nakamura is really, really, really ridiculously good looking. Where can I see more pictures of him?

You have such good taste! Fortunately, lots of other people do, too. That’s why there’s this tumblr dedicated to posting especially fine photographs of Shinsuke Nakamura (and all properly credited! but if you want a photo you took taken down, just let them know!).

Shinsuke Nakamura has an official instagram but he mostly posts pictures of Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero. The KAMINOGE instagram posts pictures of Shinsuke pretty often.

How can I get Shinsuke Nakamura’s merchandise?

You can get some things like King of Pro Wrestling Cards & special items (and, eventually, his action figure!) from purocentralshop.com.

You can also place orders from the NJPW shop directly with White Rabbit Express, a shipping service that will charge you some fees & international shipping for the privilege of getting items from a Japanese store, but it’s better than not having Shinsuke Nakamura merchandise. I use it often. If you use that link you should get a $5 referral discount! If you don’t want free money and don’t want to give me free money through my referral link, just go to the main WRE page.

What’s Shinsuke Nakamura’s character like?

He’s flamboyant and full of controlled chaos. He makes fun of his opponents incessantly and then he kicks the hell out of them, and then he gets exhausted and desperate, and then he wins, or he loses in dramatic fashion. He’s smart and a strong natural storyteller in the ring. It’s pretty much the greatest thing I have ever seen in wrestling.

What’s some other fun stuff about Shinsuke Nakamura in 2015?

Red Leather & Danger

Fellow wrestler and his longtime friend, Rocky Romero, produced & released this great single that you should pay him for (but you can also listen for free)!

K.O.S.S. by Rocky Romero, feat. Shinsuke Nakamura.

Red Sequins & Even More Danger, Somehow

He started dressing like a ninja:

He’s always wanted to be Jackie Chan but it turns out he’s better.

He had this great April Fool’s joke that I’m still sad is not real because I would watch it every day for the rest of my life:

【速報】中邑真輔主演 映画化決定 おくりバントプロデュース！反逆のレスラー中邑真輔が地獄の猟犬ボマイェと化し地球を侵略するエイリアンを狩り尽くす！ 4/1公開 #中邑真輔 #yeaoh! #njpw #AprilFools pic.twitter.com/bd9b7gaCFC

— ギラギラ広報あんな(株)おくりバント (@okuribunt_inc) April 1, 2015

A Day in the Life

NJPWWorld published a documentary of him where he wanders around and talks and meditates and carves some wood and does jiu jitsu in his VERY SHINSUKE NAKAMURA gi. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Back to School!

He was in a Toru Yano produced CHAOS DVD where they all pretended to be in school and I haven’t seen it because I just cannot handle it I know I can’t.

Surf’s Up

He went on vacation in California and kindly shared some pictures!

King of Draw Style

He drew the cover for an issue of KAMINOGE.

イラストレーションby中邑真輔。KAMINOGE vol.41の表紙はコレだ！ pic.twitter.com/9s3Ex2emj0

— 金井久幸 (@ka_nai) April 9, 2015

Merry Yeaoh Christmas!

He did some Christmas themed art for a Yokohama store:

He goes to 11?

He visited Stonehenge.

Can you believe this

And hung out with cows on the nice pastures of England.

STFU

He told Ryusuke Taguchi to shut the fuck up.

Shut the fuck up https://t.co/bJLldKbWQm

— Shinsuke Nakamura (@ShinsukeN) August 22, 2015

HE’S SO NICE

And he was really nice to me & didn’t tell me to shut the fuck up even though I wore a Suzukigun shirt! (Sorry Shinsuke I still love you & CHAOS most best!)

Thank you @ShinsukeN! You’re the best wrestler in the world. Ever. EVER. ?? pic.twitter.com/WUR8Hkqwhj

— Deathstar (@shellydeathlock) August 22, 2015

Oh, and this.

That’s it!

Have fun learning more about your new favorite wrestler! You can find me on Twitter @shellydeathlock if you want to scream excitedly about how much you love him or ask questions about his career, his matches, his incredibly beautiful hair, the way he changed your life, etc. But if you start talking shit I’m gonna block you for treason. Happy new year!