Shinsuke Nakamura knocked out of SmackDown World Cup after losing to former Champion

Shinsuke Nakamura was knocked out of the SmackDown World Cup following his loss to Santos Escobar.

Last week, WWE announced the SmackDown World Cup tournament. Superstars from different countries will face each other in the upcoming weeks, and the winner will earn a title shot at Gunther's Intercontinental Championship. Tonight on SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura faced his most recent rival in the first round of the tournament.

The two superstars had an exciting back-and-forth contest, with no one dominating the match. Nakamura showed off his striking ability, while Santos Escobar showed everyone just how cunning he could be.

Shinsuke Nakamura went for the Kinshasa early in the match but was distracted by Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde. This allowed Escobar to roll him up, but Nakamura kicked out and kicked Escobar. The numbers game really proved too much for the king of strong style.

During the closing moments of the match, the former NXT Champion attempted to climb the top rope but was stopped by Santos, who then hit the Phantom Driver for the win.

After this win, Santos Escobar will now move on to the next round of the SmackDown World Cup. We will have to wait and see who Escobar will face in the next round of the tournament.

Who do you think Santos Escobar will face in the next round of the SmackDown World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below.

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