Report: Further Update On Shinsuke Nakamura's WWE Return

Shinsuke Nakamura's absence from WWE programming has extended well into 2023, with The King of Strong Style having not wrestled on TV since he lost to Santos Escobar in the first round of the SmackDown World Cup back in November 2022. 

Nakamura has wrestled for WWE in 2023, competing at house shows, but he hasn't appeared in the ring at any live events since January 22 when he teamed with Braun Strowman and Madcap Moss in a win over Imperium.

Recent reports have indicated that WWE's plans for Nakamura were simply "on hold" until after WrestleMania. Now, in an update, PWInsider Elite have noted that Nakamura is expected back on Friday Night SmackDown soon, although an exact date for his return was not revealed. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion was in attendance at the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, March 31 and he posted a photo on social media of him reuniting with Hiroshi Tanahashi in Los Angeles. 

Nakamura's most recent high-profile match took place back in Japan where he defeated The Great Muta during Keiji Muto's retirement tour at Pro Wrestling NOAH's January 1 show. That arrangement led to Muto accepting a WWE Hall of Fame induction.