Shinsuke Nakamura made history tonight at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II. By winning the NXT Championship, the “King of Strong Style” became the first ever male Japanese pro wrestler recognized as a major men’s singles champion in WWE history.
Of the major singles titles, and current midcard singles titles that have at one point or another been seen as major singles titles – the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, and Intercontinental Championship – there has never been a Japanese title holder in the company’s recorded history.
The great Antonio Inoki technically won the WWF Heavyweight Championship from Bob Backlund during a 1979 house show in Japan, but the short reign has never been officially recognized by WWE. Of course, the late Yokozuna, who was booked as a great sumo wrestler and billed from the “Land of the Rising Sun”, was a Samoan wrestler born in San Francisco.
There may be one minor point of contention that is a matter of subjective opinion. The United States Championship was briefly won by Yoshihiro Tajiri during the WCW Invasion angle, and while the title was at one point a major championship during the NWA era, it has arguably only been used as a lower-to-mid card title since being inherited by WWE in 2001.
