5 must-watch matches of Shinsuke Nakamura before WWE 

#4. Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles - NJPW: Wrestle Kingdom 10, 2016

Nakamura vs Styles

This was both AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura’s last big singles match in an NJPW ring, and also marked Nakamura’s final IWGP Intercontinental Championship defense as well.

Billed as the co-main event of NJPW’s biggest annual event, that is, Wrestle Kingdom, both Nakamura, and Styles laid it all out on the line on this occasion and put on an instant classic that went over more than half an hour.

Styles, who after failing to regain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kazuchika Okada, decided to challenge for the IWGP IC Title for the very first time in his career.

He came into this match as the challenger suffering from a back injury, which ‘The Phenomenal One’ perfectly sold throughout this astonishing match against Nakamura.

The numerous counters are also a thing of beauty to look out for in this match and in the closing stages of it, Nakamura successfully retained his IWGP Intercontinental Championship, following two Bomaye Knees, as the two men eventually showed a mutual amount of respect to each other after the match.