Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. LA Knight: A Clash of Styles For The United States Championship

The January 10, 2025, episode of WWE SmackDown had one of the most-anticipated rematches for the United States Championship, pitting current champion Shinsuke Nakamura against former titleholder LA Knight, a bout pitting contrasting styles and personalities that have captured the WWE Universe in recent months.

The Road to the Rematch

The rivalry between Nakamura and Knight began at the end of 2024 when Nakamura made a sudden return to WWE television after a considerable time away. Clad in a new, darker persona with ominous face paint, Nakamura made a beeline for the-United States Champion LA Knight by delivering a merciless attack.

That set up their first championship showdown at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 30, 2024. In a hard-fought contest, Nakamura came out on top to secure his third United States Championship1. The victory snapped Knight’s remarkable 119-day tenure as champion, which had started when he bested Logan Paul at SummerSlam 2024.

For weeks, Knight was singularly focused on recapturing the title he felt was unfairly taken from him. One week after making a statement with an explosive attack on Nakamura, Knight finally got his rematch for the January 10 edition of SmackDown.

Contrasting Styles and Personas

What makes this rivalry so compelling is the huge contrast between Nakamura and Knight, in terms of both in-ring style and overall character.

Shinsuke Nakamura is a man known to many as “The King of Strong Style,” bringing a hard-hitting, strike-based offense cultivated over many years of competition in Japan4. At 44 years young, Nakamura is a seasoned veteran with an impressive pedigree, touting three reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling37. His recent turn into the character of a dark, sadistic persona has only grown on his already formidable presence.

Meanwhile, LA Knight represents more of a classic, WWE style of main event. At 41, Knight finally finds himself on the upside of a career revival after almost 20 years in the Indies38. His over-the-top arrogance and catchphrase-heavy promos have likened him to superstars of WWE lore like The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Knight relies on powerful moves in-ring and that rare never-say-die-attitude that fans grew to love him for.

The Championship Bout

From the bell sounding, signaling the start of their United States Championship match, two contrasting styles from Nakamura and Knight were evident. The two rivals locked up with each other to the point where neither competitor gave in; they found themselves in a stalemate with abilities even from each other. 48.

Eventually Knight’s power advantage gave him control of the match, as he took Nakamura out of the ring and brutally slammed the champion’s head off the announce table several times.

That said, Nakamura was a crafty veteran with ways to counter Knight’s offense with his variety arsenal of strikes and submission holds. In such instances, the champion’s versatility kept pushing Knight outside his comfort zone and was forcing him to change things on the fly.

These two men continued to go all out, trying each and every move in the ring, as Knight jumped high for the top rope and leaped into the ring to make a superplex attempt, and Nakamura put a reverse Boston crab to prove his submission skills.

The bout intensified as Nakamura connected with his devastating Kinshasa knee strike. However, Knight showed his resilience by getting his foot on the rope before the referee could count to three. This near-fall had the WWE Universe on the edge of their seats, believing a title change might be imminent.

As a last resort, Nakamura tried using an exposed turnbuckle in his favor, to which Knight would manage to reverse and send the champion first into the steel with his knee exposed. The shooken Nakamura, who was looking all sorts of shook, took the time to try and regain the championship. Setting himself up for the BFT to try to punctuate an inspiring comeback story with an exclamation mark.

Chaos Erupts

Just as it seemed like LA Knight was about to regain the United States Championship, bedlam broke out at ringside. Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga, members of the newly formed Bloodline faction, stormed the ring and attacked Knight50. The interference from them meant the referee had no choice but to call for the bell, thus ruling the match a disqualification.

Although Knight technically won the bout, Nakamura retained his championship due to the nature of the finish. The Bloodline’s attack on Knight was likely retaliation for an earlier backstage altercation between the parties50.

The former champion continued to get pummeled by Fatu and Tonga until reinforcements arrived in the form of Cody Rhodes and Jimmy Uso50. The two fan favorites rushed in and sent the Bloodline members packing before setting up an impromptu tag team main event later in the evening.

The Bigger Picture: State of the United States Championship

This is the Shinsuke Nakamura versus LA Knight rivalry that seems to be really rejuvenating the United States Championship and putting a little more stock in what has oft been an overlooked title within the brand of SmackDown.

Historically, the United States Championship has felt like a launching pad for rising stars or a consolation prize for established veterans. The intensity and star power involved in this current feud have made the title feel like a true prize worth fighting for.

Moments will not be short in supply, though, when considering Nakamura’s reign as champion, still in its youth. His transition into the character of a dark, brooding menace has added a sense of gravitas to his championship reign. The fact that a wrestler of Nakamura’s caliber and international renown holds the title speaks to its growing importance.

Equally as captivating, however, has been the chase from LA Knight for the title that he never lost. Few stories inside WWE have resonated louder during the past 12 months than the one regarding Knight’s meteoric rise. A win in the United States Championship represents tangible evidence of Knight ascending the WWE pecking order. Considering the nature of this feud that’s consistently building between Nakamura and Knight, whoever leaves with the United States Championship is going to be a behemoth of presence within the SmackDown main event scene heading forward. It’s become a pretty pivotal factor of storytelling on the brand lately, and whoever maintains it probably gets positioned as one of the mainstays on Friday nights.

Meanwhile, up-and-coming stars from NXT, such as Cameron Grimes and Bron Breakker, might get called up and slotted in immediately into the United States Championship picture, therefore yielding fresh matchups featuring established stars that are really good to watch, such as Nakamura or Knight.

Conclusion: A Rivalry Unresolved

While the United States Championship Match between Shinsuke Nakamura and LA Knight on January 10, 2025, was mired in controversy, their rivalry is clearly far from over. The inconclusive finish leaves the door wide open for future encounters, each with the potential to top the last in terms of drama and in-ring action. Nakamura and Knight have represented the United States Championship well thus far, each with their opposing style and personality, developing a dynamic between the two men that has taken hold of the WWE Universe and further amplified the title that they’re competing for.

As the road to the Royal Rumble and, subsequently, WrestleMania 41 is in full effect, the scene for the United States Championship on SmackDown looks to be one of the more thrilling and unpredictable aspects of WWE programming. Whether it’s the continued hot rivalry between Nakamura and Knight, new challengers emerging from the pack, or unexpected twists that send the title picture into chaos, fans can bet the United States Championship will be a key storyline point for SmackDown in the coming weeks and months. The story of Shinsuke Nakamura and LA Knight is really one of perseverance in wrestling.

Both these men have traveled the long, winding road through the years they’ve been operating, and in every single match and promo, their fire for the business comes across really bright. More than them continuing to push the bar high among themselves, what will be fascinating to see play out in live action is simply this rivalry of the two on display for everybody. The United States Championship sits atop the ever-changing WWE landscape as a barometer of excellence and an aspiration for Superstars to work toward. But as Nakamura and Knight pen the next chapter in the storied annals of the title, one thing is for sure: the best is yet to come.