Roman Reigns encountered Shinsuke Nakamura for the first time at Royal Rumble 2018 when The King of Strong Style punched his ticket to WrestleMania by eliminating The Tribal Chief.

In the contest’s final moments, Nakamura countered Reigns’ Spear with a Kinshasa, which allowed him to throw his opponent over the top rope. It was a hard pill to swallow for The Tribal Chief as The Artist snatched away his second Rumble victory.

Since then, the two have faced each other twice in singles matches. Interestingly, Shinsuke walked into both of these matches as the Intercontinental Champion. So, what was the result each time Reigns and Nakamura collided?

What are the singles match record between Roman Reigns and Shinsuke Nakamura?

Roman Reigns has a 2-0 lead over Nakamura in singles matches. The duo first locked horns in October 2019, when The Artist defended his Intercontinental Championship against The Big Dog.

It was a great match that ended in a disqualification. Baron Corbin attacked Reigns with his royal scepter, which prevented him from winning the championship.

The two met again during The Tribute to the Troops event in November 2021. It was a Champion vs. Champion bout, where the Universal Champion looked to finally earn a pinfall victory over The King of Strong Style.

Shinsuke Nakamura stepped up his game and gave The Tribal Chief a tough fight. However, following a vicious Spear, The Tribal Chief got a three count.

Shinsuke Nakamura began a new rivalry with Roman Reigns on SmackDown

On the latest episode of WWE SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura confronted Roman Reigns.

The former Intercontinental Champion supposedly came out to challenge Reigns for a title match. But before he could reveal his intentions, The Tribal Chief grabbed the mic, saying he understood how Nakamura felt now that his partner Rick Boogs was injured.

The Undisputed Champion then proceeded to hug Nakamura. Before The Artist could realize that Roman’s expression of sympathy was a trap, The Usos took him down with tandem Superkicks.

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