Shinsuke Nakamura sends cryptic message after backstage confrontation with 43-year-old WWE star

The January 2 edition of WWE SmackDown featured a backstage confrontation between Shinsuke Nakamura and one of his former rivals from NJPW. The two had a tense exchange in Japanese, which could be a sign that a new rivalry is set to begin.

In the first three-hour episode of SmackDown in 2026, Nakamura had a short interaction with Tama Tonga of the MFTs. The former WWE Tag Team Champion knows the King of Strong Style well from their days together in Japan, when Nakamura's CHAOS faction feuded with Tonga's Bullet Club.

On X/Twitter, the 2018 Royal Rumble winner broke his silence with a cryptic message after his segment with Tama Tonga on the Friday Night Show.

"Beginning of work (translated from Japanese) I saw someone I've known for a long time tonight," he wrote.

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Nakamura's last match on television was on the edition of SmackDown before Survivor Series, where he teamed up with Sami Zayn, Motor City Machine Guns, and Rey Fenix in a losing attempt against the MFTs.

What did Tama Tonga and Shinsuke Nakamura say to each other on WWE SmackDown?

The exchange between the two veterans involved Shinsuke Nakamura mentioning championship gold. The former NXT Champion pointed out that he would cross paths with Tama Tonga down the line if they chased championship gold again in the future.

Tonga responded aggressively, telling him to shut up. Nakamura acknowledged this by saying, "You have quite the mouth on you, don't you?"

The leader of the MFTs, Solo Sikoa, then asked his teammate what his confrontation with Nakamura was all about. Tonga brushed it off, saying it was an old chapter. The former Bullet Club member has been portrayed strongly since his return from injury a few months ago.

Perhaps this could be the start of a new chapter, with a storyline between Tama Tonga and Shinsuke Nakamura potentially in the works. However, it remains to be seen whether this confrontation leads anywhere.

Edited by Arsh Das