If there's one person who didn't want Cody Rhodes to have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year, it was Shinsuke Nakamura.

The “King of Strong Style” and, apparently, an accomplished author who delivered his modern-day children's classic, “An American Nightmare Before Christmas” on the RAW before Christmas, Nakamura has been taking palpable pleasure in giving Rhodes a hard time, attacking him without warning, slandering his family, and pulling whatever strings he can find to poke fun at Dusty's son for his unfinished story.

So, after taking some time off to rest and relax over the holidays, Rhodes returned to RAW ready to rock, entering the ring for a special segment early on into Day 1 in the hopes of getting something on the books with his fellow former New Japan standout for later in the show.

“San Diego, what do you want to talk about? I have the privilege of being the first Superstar to come to this ring and officially welcome you to a special Day 1 episode of Monday Night RAW!” Cody Rhodes told the crowd in San Diego, California. “It's a new year, people like to talk about their goals, where they'd like to be in 2024, but admittedly, I'm a little stuck. And what I've gotten stuck on, is Shinsuke Nakamura. Don't get me wrong, I think we all know Shinsuke Nakamura is a force to be reckoned with in the ring, but with his rendition of “A Nightmare Before Christmas,” I was expecting something a bit more sophisticated. See, I'm not stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura because of the things he said about my family; that comes with the territory. I'm not stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura because he tried to blind me with poison mist; I fought blind, and I fought just fine. I am stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura simply put because this should be over. This should be over, and Shinsuke, I'm going to give you the opportunity to finish it tonight. So go ahead, bring your poison mist, bring your poison words, whatever makes you feel like you can stop me from where I need to be because this ends, and this ends right now!”

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, oh heck yeah, after being a fixture of WWE's holiday tour, it looked like fans at home were going to get to see Rhodes and Nakamura wrestle a match on national television, with a New Years Street Fight very much on the table of both men signed off on the showdown. Unfortunately for Rhodes, however, it takes two to tango, and needless to say, Nakamura had his own idea for how to end his feud with the “American Nightmare.”

Shinsuke Nakamura may finally finish things up with Cody Rhodes.

After watching Cody Rhodes cut an impassioned promo asking for, nay, demanding, a match against the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura butted in with a pre-tapped promo of his own, letting Cody know he stands behind his Christmas story and plans to finish off the Rhodes story too, just not on Day 1 in San Diego.

“Cody, Cody, Cody,  I never thought it would be so easy to get into your head and become the author of your final chapter,” Shinsuke Nakamura said via translation. “I have whispered the plot in your ear, and pushed your character to the brink, page by page. I have blinded you so you cannot see the ending. Cody, but your story does not end tonight. I want to give the ‘American Nightmare' one more week to dream. I became what you could never be. I finish your story, then I close your book.”

Unfortunately for fans in San Diego, who thought they'd get a pretty darn good match between Rhodes and Nakamura on top of a Becky Lynch-Nia Jax match, a Seth Rollins-Drew McIntyre match, and a not-so-surprising appearance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in an America-centric promo battle with Canadian Superstar Jinder Mahal, they would have to wait another week to watch the match on television just like the majority of the fanbase. Fortunately for all fans, residing in the 619 and otherwise, it sounds like Rhodes and Nakamura may finally get this feud over with once and for all… at least until the Royal Rumble, when the two men will likely mix it up inside the squared circle as the “American Nightmare” attempts to take the first step in finishing his story with a second-straight win in the Royal Rumble in order to punch his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 40 and a rematch with his top rival, Roman Reigns.