Vince McMahon did not see SmackDown star as a "top guy," claims WWE Hall of Famer

According to WWE Legend Road Dogg, Vince McMahon was not entirely sold on the star power of the Japanese wrestling sensation Shinsuke Nakamura.

Shinsuke was arguably pushed to the moon after debuting on the WWE main roster in 2017, from beating John Cena in the summer to winning the Royal Rumble match in January 2018 and then facing AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34 for the WWE title.

However, Road Dogg, who was a writer on SmackDown at the time, claimed on the Oh...You Didn't Know podcast that Vince did not see Nakamura as a top guy for WWE.

"Look I think he [Vince McMahon] gave Nakamura opportunity after opportunity. I think Vince sees that you don’t have to see Nakamura perform too many times before you see what everybody else sees. I don’t think he [Vince] was blind to that or denied him of that, and I think he gave him a bunch of opportunities."

He added:

"Now look I think the argument can be made that, ‘Can he, could he be a top guy?’ I think the language barrier might have gotten in the way. I think now, what are we, five years ahead of that? And look, the world’s changed. I think he could totally be the champion." (H/T Wrestling Inc)

Shinsuke Nakamura made his return to WWE last Friday on SmackDown, where he defeated Madcap Moss in his first televised match since November 11, 2022.

Is Vince McMahon back in WWE creative?

Following the recent reported merger between WWE and the UFC, a move that saw the 77-year-old front and center on all its dealings, many now believe that McMahon is now back working on the creative side of things once again.

Despite his son-in-law Triple H taking over the creative reigns in July last year, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently reported that phrases used in a recent episode of RAW were changed to suit Vince McMahon's preferences.

"We do know of some minor things on the show, including promo wordings, that were changed this week so the influence is there." (H/T Ringside News)

It can be argued that since Triple H took over the bulk of the creative duties in WWE, the overall quality of both RAW and SmackDown has significantly improved.

What are your thoughts on Vince McMahon returning to WWE creative? Let us know in the comments section below.