WWE Extreme Rules 2019: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly 

The Good #2 - It's Shinsuke time

WWE Extreme Rules: NEW Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura

In one of wrestling's most puzzling mysteries, many have forgotten Shinsuke Nakamura and the fanfare he brought to WWE in his debut NXT match against Sami Zayn in 2016. Since then, Nakamura went on to win the NXT Championship, the 2018 Royal Rumble, the United States Championship, and now the Intercontinental Championship.

In what many considered an upset, Nakamura defeated Finn Balor in a great Extreme Rules Kickoff Show bout. Nakamura is now Intercontinental Champion and hopefully, will finally be given the benefit of another push.

It wasn't long ago that Shinsuke won the Royal Rumble, only to fall short against then WWE Champion A.J. Styles in a WrestleMania 34 dream match. Since then, Nakamura has floundered on the main roster with a forgettable United States Championship run and an inexplicable tag team pairing with Rusev. While Nakamura fought in one of the most eagerly anticipated WrestleMania 34 matches, by the time the big event rolled around one year later, he was relegated to a very forgettable Fatal 4-Way tag team bout.

Perhaps tonight's victory is redemption for Nakamura, a move away from WWE's mid-card hell, and a long-awaited return to championship glory where he can once again prove to be one of the very finest in-ring competitors in the world of professional wrestling. If that's the case, Nakamura is certainly more seasoned and more apt to make the most of his opportunities.

Earlier in the week, Nakamura declared that the WWE Universe had forgotten who Shinsuke was and judging by the reaction to his Intercontinental victory, he was correct. After his Intercontinental Championship clinching victory over Balor, Nakamura promised to be a better champion than Balor ever was and sent a warning to the WWE Universe, "People won't forget me anymore."