Why did LA Knight lose the United States Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura? Likely reason explained

Shinsuke Nakamura shocked the world after he defeated LA Knight to become the new United States Champion at Survivor Series: WarGames. It was a decision that caught many fans off guard, given the meteoric rise of The Defiant One. However, WWE's choice to take the title off Knight and crown the 44-year-old as the new champion seems to have an intriguing reason behind it.

Nakamura is scheduled to face Ulka Sasaki at NOAH's The New Year 2025 event on January 1, 2025. According to Dave Meltzer, The King of Strong Style becoming the United States Champion was a move that the Japanese wrestling promotion pushed for. NOAH seemingly wants to add more grandeur to the high-profile inter-promotional match by having the veteran star walk in with WWE's coveted title on his shoulder.

This seems to be one of the probable reasons behind LA Knight losing the gold at the last spectacle. Furthermore, Shinsuke Nakamura made his return last month on SmackDown after an extended hiatus. He quickly went after the Knight to assert his dominance. A loss after such an impactful return could have derailed his momentum and credibility, especially ahead of a major inter-promotional clash at the end of this month.

Moreover, for the past few years, the 44-year-old star has selflessly helped WWE elevate other talents. He has been a true altruist within the company, putting over talents time and time again. Given his unwavering dedication, WWE may have decided that Survivor Series: WarGames was the perfect stage to reward Shinsuke Nakamura with the United States Championship.

Besides, putting the US Title on Nakamura's shoulder adds a fresh dynamic to the mid-card scene on SmackDown. With his new character, The King of Strong Style can establish himself as a legitimate threat. Meanwhile, the former champion, LA Knight can embark on a new journey to further solidify his legacy in WWE.

Could LA Knight recapture his title from Shinsuke Nakamura?

LA Knight's defeat at Survivor Series: WarGames has indeed put a huge question mark on his future direction. The recent turn of events has caused fans to wonder whether Knight will be able to reclaim his title from Nakamura at some point.

While there is a potential for The Megastar to try and get back the United States Championship on SmackDown, the chances of him reclaiming the title are considerably low. There is speculation that he could be moving to Monday Night RAW after it moves to Netflix next month. As a result, WWE may have new plans for him on the red brand.

Meanwhile, Shinsuke Nakamura is expected to be a mainstay in SmackDown's mid-card division, potentially holding the United States Championship for an extended period. Besides, WWE could continue the feud between Nakamura and Knight over the next few weeks, building towards a potential showdown by the end of this year on SmackDown.

It will be intriguing to see the future of both superstars from here on out. With such a massive shift in their power rankings, Triple H could be planning some huge clashes for the two on the road to WrestleMania next year.