How did Shinsuke Nakamura become King?

Shinsuke Nakamura won the Intercontinental Championship for the second time on the latest edition of SmackDown. WWE's recent booking of Shinsuke Nakamura has to be appreciated, given how well the King of Strong Style has been used in 2021.

AND NEW!!!!!!@ShinsukeN 👑 🎸#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/hD3TTVbFaF

— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) August 14, 2021

Shinsuke Nakamura, a Japanese legend who could have been WWE's face for their Asian expansion projects, was reduced to a shadow of his former self, courtesy of WWE's booking.

The Royal Rumble win and the WrestleMania 34 heel turn helped garner fans' appreciation. However, the longevity of his rivalry with AJ Styles did more harm to him than good. Since then, Shinsuke Nakamura has won the United States, Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships, but his run with the titles was largely forgettable.

How did Shinsuke Nakamura become King?

I officially became the King of the WWE 👑 #kingofstrongstyle #smackdown #fox #kingofwwe pic.twitter.com/IcKS02rbqe

— Shinsuke Nakamura (@ShinsukeN) June 19, 2021

Shinsuke Nakamura has used the nickname 'The King of Strong Style' throughout his career. While the WWE creatives acknowledged it initially, they started calling Shinsuke Nakamura 'The Artist'.

The journey of Shinsuke Nakamura becoming King started on January 8, 2021, edition of SmackDown. The Artist competed in a Gauntlet match to determine the #1 contender for Roman Reigns' Universal Championship. An interference from Roman Reigns lead to Shinsuke Nakamura losing to WWE Official Adam Pearce.

As expected, he garnered a lot of praise for his excellent performance, with fans clamoring for Shinsuke Nakamura to dethrone Roman Reigns.

Rick Boogs accompanying "King" Shinsuke Nakamura to the ring

While that did not happen, Shinsuke Nakamura eventually turned face, bringing back his old theme song. Following a brief rivalry with Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura started feuding with King Corbin.

The two superstars traded multiple wins, following which a "Battle For The Crown" match was announced for the June 18 episode of Smackdown. Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Corbin in the bout, thereby winning the King title and becoming King Nakamura.

Shinsuke Nakamura walking into SummerSlam as the Intercontinental champion speaks volumes about his reputation backstage. While Corbin lost the King title to Shinsuke Nakamura, he has found his stride as a poor guy (in kayfabe). The angle is slowly and steadily turning Corbin into one of SmackDown's fan favorites.

Who should face Shinsuke Nakamura for the IC Title? Drop your opinion in the comments box!