Months after losing to him at a house show in Cardiff, Wales, Shinsuke Nakamura returned to "WWE SmackDown" to get revenge on United States Champion LA Knight, who was celebrating a win over Legado del Fantasma's Berto when he was taken out by his former opponent. No longer in his signature red gear, Nakamura donned a long, brown duster, a black leather shirt, and black pants, his hair hanging in front of a mostly covered red face paint shaped like diamonds above and below his eyes. Nakamura admired his work before sauntering from the ring.

Nakamura hasn't wrestled a televised match since losing to Sheamus on the April 22 edition of "WWE Raw." Last month, Pro Wrestling NOAH announced that the Japanese legend would be returning on New Year's Day. A video of Nakamura aired during their show where he noted it had been a while since his last appearance; his opponent has yet to be announced. Nakamura defeated The Great Muta on NOAH's New Year's Day show during the legend's retirement tour in 2023.