before defeating him in a match. At Royal Rumble on January 31, Nakamura entered No. 7 before he was eliminated by King Corbin. In March, Nakamura would be involved in Cesaro's feud with Seth Rollins after Rollins took Cesaro out of action. This led to a match between Nakamura and Rollins at Fastlane on March 21, where Nakamura lost to Rollins. On the May 14 episode of SmackDown, Nakamura lost to King Corbin, and attacked him after the match before stealing his crown, starting a feud between the two. The next week, Rick Boogs became an ally of Nakamura, playing the guitar for him during his entrance. On the June 18 episode of SmackDown, Nakamura defeated Corbin in a "Battle for the Crown" match to become the new King. Now known as "King Nakamura", he defeated Corbin on the July 9 episode of SmackDown to qualify for Money in the Bank on July 18. At the event, Nakamura failed to win the match. On the August 13 episode of SmackDown, Nakamura defeated Apollo Crews to win the Intercontinental Championship for the second time in his career. He would have his only title defense as he retained over Apollo in a rematch on the September 24 episode of SmackDown. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, just prior to the start of the King of the Ring tournament that night, Nakamura relinquished the crown. At Survivor Series on November 21, Nakamura defeated United States Champion Damian Priest by disqualification in a champion vs. champion match. On the February 18, 2022 (taped February 11) episode of SmackDown, Nakamura lost the title to Sami Zayn, ending his reign at 189 days. On the first night of WrestleMania 38 on April 2, Boogs and Nakamura faced The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship in a losing effort. On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, he teamed with Riddle to face the Usos for the titles, but lost. He failed to qualify for Money in the Bank when he lost to Sami Zayn on the June 24 episode of SmackDown, and in a last chance battle royal on the following episode of Raw. On the August 12 episode of SmackDown, he faced Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship in a losing effort. After a brief hiatus, Nakamura returned on the October 19, 2022, edition of NXT, for the first time in over five years as