The contract status of WWE superstar Shinsuke Nakamura has become a topic of significant backstage discussion. The 45-year-old veteran recently sparked retirement rumors by commenting, “John Cena, AJ [Styles] — they’ve all chosen to step away from the ring. It reminds me that my own time might not be far off.”
According to a report from Fightful Select’s weekly Q&A, this ambiguity has been a long-running story. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp noted that he has been looking into leads on Nakamura’s contract status all year, with “hints” being dropped about his deal for the last 10-11 months.
The speculation was further fueled by a Wrestling Observer Newsletter report that Nakamura’s name was floated within New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a “pipe dream” opponent for Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January 2026. However, that same report noted that NJPW executives are under the belief that Nakamura re-signed with WWE last year, which would make such an appearance impossible.
Despite the rumors, Sapp notes that Nakamura’s new contract has still not been confirmed. For now, the “King of Strong Style” remains a key part of the SmackDown roster, recently returning to his old theme music and challenging for the United States Championship.
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