Shinsuke Nakamura has been cleared to return to in-ring action. Nakamura had been on the shelf with a hand injury dating back to mid-December. The winner of the 2018 Royal Rumble noted on his Instagram stories recently that he has been cleared to return.


Nakamura’s last match was on a December 18th, 2021 WWE live event in Rockford, Illinois. He teamed with Boogz on that card and defeated Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss.

Nakamura’s injury was first revealed by his partner, Rick Boogz, on the Out of Character podcast.

“We’ve only had a couple of tag matches together and he suffered a hand injury that has kept him out for close to two months now, it seems like. I’m looking forward to him being healthy and cleared so we can kick some tail,” Boogs said on the podcast.

“From there, down the road, we’ll branch off, but I’m in no rush with that. There is a new approach, pairing up the seasoned vets with new up and comers and it’s obviously for a reason. It helps get more exposure, TV time, valuable insight. I don’t think he’d be as willing to help me out if I wasn’t with him, Strong Style Shred. What’s his incentive to help me?”