WWE: 4 Reasons Why Shinsuke Nakamura Must Turn Heel

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Source: WWE.com

Crafting The Rematch

SmackDown Live currently lacks an end goal.

Jinder Mahal’s reign as WWE Champion has turned the brand upside down. The most important feud going on is between a recent Raw import and the General Manager. That’s not a sustainable way to produce their show, and with WrestleMania season slowly bearing down, SmackDown needs to refocus its efforts at the top of the card.

Nakamura being WWE Champion won’t solve all their problems, but it is a start. Where they really need to look is to his first marquee challenger. Most of my fellow New Japan fanboys agree that Nakamura/Styles is a money-feud, and if WWE can get on board, they have a chance to do something special.

Most fans are resigned to the idea that WrestleMania 34 will be headlined by a Lesnar/Reigns rematch. That leaves WWE with a golden opportunity to placate all the fans that will be irked by their rechristening of Reigns: a double main-event. One for the casuals, one for the ultras. A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura II; from the Tokyo Dome to the Superdome.

To truly sanatize this match for Western audiences, it would be better to have a well-defined face/heel dynamic. Their NJPW encounter had Styles as the Bullet Club’s villainous Ace, but in Western audiences’ eyes, he’s the plucky Southern underdog with a point to prove on the grand stage. Styles could win the Royal Rumble and face the final test of a dominant WWE Champion in Nakamura. To truly craft their story, Nakamura should be in his fully-evolved form. WWE could play up Shinsuke’s MMA background, and make him seem overwhelmingly dangerous.

Next: Who Is The Greatest Superstar To Never Be World Champion?

The American Hero. The Foreign Bad Guy. It’s a tale as old as time in wrestling, and may be our best shot at seeing Nakamura vs Styles on the grandest stage of them all.