Shinsuke Nakamura Made Reveal Statement That He Is Contemplating Retirement

Well, it looks like the retirement bug is contagious in the WWE locker room. Following a recent tour in Japan, Shinsuke Nakamura took to social media with a message that has everyone buzzing. After watching his peers start their farewell tours, the “King of Strong Style” is apparently doing a little soul-searching of his own, and it sounds like he’s contemplating hanging up his boots for good.

What’s So Special About Japan?

It all started after an emotional weekend that saw AJ Styles potentially wrestle his last match in the Land of the Rising Sun. This apparently struck a chord with Nakamura, who started his career there and became a legend in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

“What a special place Japan is. especially for those of us who wrestle,” he wrote on X. He didn’t stop there, adding, “As AJ said, it’s a place worthy of giving everything you’ve got. Of course, that’s true anywhere in the world… but there’s something sacred here.”

You can feel the sentiment dripping from the words. For a guy who communicates so much without saying anything, he was surprisingly open. Maybe it’s the jet lag, or maybe it’s the sight of his contemporaries calling it a day, but the Japanese leg of the tour clearly had him in a reflective, almost somber, mood. It’s one thing to get cheers in Cleveland; it’s another to perform in the arenas where you forged your identity. For Nakamura, Japan isn’t just another tour stop; it’s home.

The Retirement Contagion

Here’s where it gets interesting. With John Cena’s much-publicized retirement tour concluding this year and AJ Styles openly planning to call it quits in 2026, the locker room is starting to feel a bit like a high school reunion where everyone’s talking about their 401(k)s. This reality seems to have hit Nakamura square in the jaw when he said the following on social media.

“He did too — John Cena, AJ — they’ve all chosen to step away from the ring. It reminds me that my own time might not be far off,”

At 45 years old, after a grueling career spanning more than two decades, you can’t blame the guy for seeing the writing on the wall. The human body, even one as finely tuned as his, has its limits.

Nakamura Is Not Done Yet

Before you start penning your heartfelt goodbyes, hold on a second. While he’s clearly got retirement on his mind, the former Intercontinental Champion and Royal Rumble Winner made it clear he’s not packing it in just yet. He’s still got that fire in his belly. He even tweeted the following below

“But I still have things I must do. I’m still struggling, still fighting, not knowing what tomorrow will bring,” he wrote, shifting from reflective veteran to the determined warrior we know. It’s this internal conflict that makes his message so compelling. He’s staring at the sunset but isn’t ready to let the day end.

He wrapped up his post with a line that’s both a declaration and a lament: “All I can do is live this day with everything I have. Thank you. If only… one more time…”

By One More Time, Is He Planting the Seeds?

“One more time”? One more what? A title run? A main event at WrestleMania? A return to the top of the card where many feel he belongs? It’s classic Nakamura: cryptic, poetic, and leaving us all wanting more. It’s a stark reminder to appreciate these legends while they’re still here, because you never know when their “one more time” will be their last. For now, let’s just enjoy the show.