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Shinsuke Nakamura will be making history next week when he appears in an event outside of WWE. Several wrestling personalities reacted to Nakamura's historic news which can be considered a major crossover event.
The King of Strong Style announced that he'll be in the corner of rising MMA prospect Rei Tsuruya at UFC 303 for his fight against Carlos Hernandez this Saturday in Las Vegas. Nakamura continues to train in the sport and previously fought in Japan. He has a record of 3-1.
"I am excited to be a part of the massive UFC 303 event this weekend," Nakamura told ESPN. "It is an honor to be in Tsuruya Rei's corner. MMA is still a huge passion of mine and to be a part of Rei's UFC debut is a great moment." [H/T: ESPN]
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Several wrestling stars commented on Shinsuke Nakamura's post, including Baron Corbin, Santos Escobar, Nic Nemeth, and Marty Scurll.
Other wrestling personalities across the industry like Kazuchika Okada, Gunther, Karrion Kross, Santino Marella, Jinder Mahal, Finn Balor, Britt Baker, and more liked Nakamura's post.
Shinsuke Nakamura's MMA career
Before becoming a full-time professional wrestler, Shinsuke Nakamura had a short stint as a mixed martial arts fighter from 2002 to 2004. Nakamura fought five times in Japan under several promotions such as Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye, NJPW, Jungle Fight, and K-1.
The King of Strong Style compiled an impressive record of three wins, one loss, and one no-contest. He defeated Jan Nortje, Shane Eitner, and Alexey Ignashov all by submission. His lone defeat was to Daniel Gracie via submission as well.
The King of Strong Style focused on professional wrestling after his final fight and went on to become one of the biggest NJPW stars in history.
Nakamura continues to train in mixed martial arts and even incorporated some of it into his arsenal in wrestling. From his strikes and kicks to even his submission game, the influence of MMA is apparent.
