Why Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles from WrestleMania 34 was a major letdown?

Before joining WWE in 2016, AJ Styles, also known as “The Phenomenal One,” made his name in the independent wrestling scene. He quickly established himself as one of the top stars in the company. He won the WWE championship multiple times as well. Shinsuke Nakamura, on the other hand, is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and one of the biggest stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling before joining WWE in 2016. He is well-known for his distinct style, which combines elements of martial arts and strong style wrestling.

At WrestleMania 34 in 2018, Styles and Nakamura were set to square off for the WWE championship. The match had a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding it. Both Nakamura and Styles were considered two of the best in-ring performers in the world. The two also had a 5-star match before at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016.

At Mania’34, their match started off slowly and took a while to build momentum. However, just when it looked like it was picking up pace, the match came to an end. The match had a great spot where Nakamura was going to hit Styles with a “Kinshasa” and AJ countered it with a “Styles-clash” to retain the title. It was a great reversal but a disappointing end to what could’ve been a great match.

The match wasn’t bad by any means, however, it could’ve gone a little longer than it did. Fans were expecting them to repeat their tumultuous past from Japan. However, the wrestling during that dream bout was a major letdown for everyone watching around. After since The Artist known as Shinsuke Nakamura won that year’s men’s Royal Rumble, the match between him and Styles was the most hyped out of all the other matches on the WrestleMania 34 card.

Related: Will AJ Styles be forced to miss WrestleMania 39?

The Rivalry between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura continued after WrestleMania 34

Following the match at WrestleMania, fans saw an unexpected heel turn from Shinsuke Nakamura to continue the rivalry with AJ Styles. AJ retained the title, but Nakamura didn’t stop chasing the title for the upcoming months. Week after week, Nakamura used low blows on AJ as a heel tactic. The two continued to face off in a series of matches, each one more intense and dramatic than the last.

The first encounter after WrestleMania took place at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, which ended with AJ retaining the title due to a double count-out. The rematch was going better than their WrestleMania match; however, the conclusion was more disappointing than the previous match.

Styles and Nakamura faced off again at the Backlash pay-per-view. The match was a no-disqualification match and was another intense and physical encounter between the two. However, the match had one of the worst endings, with both men hitting each other with a low blow and staying down for a 10-count by the referee. Styles retained the WWE title again, with the match ending in a draw.

The highlight of the rivalry was a Last Man Standing match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Where both Styles and Nakamura pulled out all the stops in a brutal and unforgettable match. In the end, Styles retained the title, securing the victory with a phenomenal forearm. It was the end of their feud, with Styles coming out on top and both going separate ways.

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