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'WWE SmackDown' Talent Departure Rumors Disputed Amid Roster Cuts

'WWE SmackDown' Talent Departure Rumors Disputed Amid Roster Cuts

Yahoo06-05-2025

Rumors continue to surface on the status of a WWE superstar who performs on "Friday Night SmackDown."
A recent wave of roster cuts was made just a couple of weeks following the two-night "WrestleMania 41" event. There were some key stars on the list, which mostly included "NXT" talent. Still, notable names to WWE fans such as Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, and Shayna Baszler were also let go.
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Months prior to WWE's latest talent releases, rumors claimed that former WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura was on his way out of the company. Nakamura ended up returning to TV and had a feud with LA Knight before disappearing once again. The rumor has resurfaced, and a new report has emerged in response.
LA Knight hits a Bulldog on Shinsuke Nakamura during their WWE United States Championship match on Friday Night SmackDown.(via WWE)
Fightful reports that those within WWE haven't heard anything about Nakamura departing at any time during his current tenure with the company. While one questionable outlet claimed that Nakamura is done with the company, the website in question has been accused of "AI writing garbage," per the report.
Nakamura has been a member of the WWE roster since 2016. While "The King of Strong Style" has never captured a world title during his time with the company, he's held multiple championships and has been involved in the world title picture in years past.
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The former NJPW legend turned 45 years old earlier this year, and many are wondering what's next for him once he returns to TV. Nakamura's experience has helped the growth of many characters on WWE programming.
Related: WWE Signs Popular 'Friday Night SmackDown' Star to New Deal

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