8-time WWE champion is reportedly returning to SmackDown just before Wrestlepalooza 2025 

A major star who's been conspicuously absent from WWE's programming in recent months is reportedly set to make an appearance on this week's SmackDown. As per PWInsider, Shinsuke Nakamura is expected to return this Friday Night.

Things have gone downhill for The King of Strong Style ever since he lost the US Title in March. After failing to qualify for the Money in the Bank match and losing in the first round of the King of the Tournament, he disappeared from TV.

After three months of unexplained absence, it looks like Shinsuke Nakamura is close to making his comeback just ahead of Wrestlepalooza 2025. PWInsider is reporting that Nakamura is likely to appear at the Toledo show on Friday.

However, there's no clarity on what's planned for the former IC Champion, and WWE, too, hasn't made any announcement yet. Check it out below:

Considering Nakamura is a decorated star, having won the IC and NXT Titles twice, the US Title thrice, and the Tag Team Title once, fans are clamoring to see him in a prominent spot in WWE with a clear-cut direction.

WWE seems to have set up Shinsuke Nakamura's return

In a development that was very reassuring for Shinsuke Nakamura's fans, the veteran performer was spotted in two backstage segments on last week's SmackDown. Both of these segments featured the reigning US Champion Sami Zayn, meaning WWE could be planning to pit the two stars against each other.

Zayn and Nakamura have gone to war multiple times in the past, with their first match in 2016 considered among the best in the company's history. Only time will tell if the two stars can find their chemistry back as their subsequent encounters paled in comparison to what they achieved at NXT Takeover: Dallas.

For now, fans can expect the global juggernaut to have Nakamura come face-to-face with Zayn on SmackDown and lay the seeds for a match down the line.

Edited by Arpit Shrivastava