When a WWE match hits a climax, it’s typical to hear the crowd chant “fight forever.” And that may be exactly what AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura are destined to do.
A keen eye at Ringside News noted that WWE is advertising Styles vs. Nakamura through August. This means that their Last Man Standing Match at Money in the Bank would set up another bout—likely a SummerSlam mega-match.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Given that Styles and Nakamura have been attached to one another since the Royal Rumble, a nine-month feud could overexpose their story. However, it may be the ttimeline these Superstars deserve.
When their WrestleMania 34 match was made, fans hoped we’d see the greatest match in WWE history. That didn’t happen, but we did get a pretty entertaining heel turn by Nakamura. In the months since ‘Mania, the pair has had multiple matches for the WWE Championship, but none of them were decisive. In order to get a clear finish, WWE booked the Last Man Standing Match, however, that may finish in controversy.
Based on the story WWE is telling, neither Styles nor Nakamura can get the upper hand on the other. So, instead, they’ve resorted—or at least Nakamura—to pounding each other’s genitalia. It’s been comical at times, but we’re approaching the land of diminishing returns. If their MITB match ends via double low-blow, WWE runs the risk of helping hordes of fans pull their interest.
However, the better—and likelier—option is Nakamura winning the WWE Championship at MITB. The King of Strong Style has been intoxicatingly good as a heel and deserves at least a trial run a WWE Champion. If he were to lose at MITB, then a SummerSlam match would seem like an unreasonable opportunity for WWE to extend. Let’s be real, in 2018, only Roman Reigns gets infinite title shots.
If this little rumor holds true, then we can officially place our monster WrestleMania expectations on a SummerSlam fight. New Orleans was simply not the place for Nakamura and Styles to have their best match. But the Brooklyn crow will be infinitely more invested in their rivalry and that match will have the main event treatment it deserves.
This will be worth keeping an eye on, but if Nakamura leaves MITB as Champion, consider the pan to be in play. There are few wrenches to acknowledge, the largest being whoever wins the MITB contract. Regardless, this is shaping up to be a compelling summer for SmackDown.
