wrestling / Columns

Road To WrestleMania (Week 5) – Cruise Control

March 30, 2018 | Posted by Jeremy Lambert
AJ Styles Shinsuke Nakamura wrestlemania Image Credit: WWE

Less than two weeks from WrestleMania and the two big title matches on SmackDown are still in cruise control.

We’re getting a dream match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura even though most of us saw that dream turn into a reality two years ago. And it’s only a dream match if you know the history between the two men.

Shinsuke Nakamura’s time on the main roster has been, at best, underwhelming. A feud with Dolph Ziggler sucked any heat he may have had right out of him. Failure to beat Jinder Mahal set him back even further.

His Royal Rumble victory set the stage for a title opportunity at his first WrestleMania, but was quickly cooled off prior to Fastlane.

In truth, WWE hasn’t done a whole lot with Nakamura since he tossed Roman Reigns over the top rope. And they haven’t done a whole lot to make the audience care about his match with AJ Styles. The two have a mutual respect and Nakamura is playing his rockstar artist mind games with The Phenomenal One, but there’s no real substance behind the feud.

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You’re either excited for the match because you recognize that Styles is one of the top wrestlers in the world, Nakamura is up there with him when he cares, and you know the New Japan history between the two men. Or you’re lukewarm on the match because Styles hasn’t won a one-on-one match in over a month and Nakamura hasn’t set the world on fire in the last year.

Charlotte and Asuka have a similar problem.

Asuka has been treated as a far bigger deal than Nakamura in a shorter amount of time. Her undefeated streak is mentioned at every turn, she has victories over former champions, and she won the first Female Royal Rumble. But since challenging Charlotte, the two have had little to no interaction.

Instead, Asuka has been appearing on RAW, crushing more cans.

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Charlotte might be the more disappointing story. Her time on SmackDown has ranged from sluggish to apathetic. Uninteresting feud with Natalya and the Riott Squad killed any momentum she brought with her from RAW.

Under better direction, this style of booking works.

UFC fighters don’t – well, aren’t supposed to – touch before a fight. Bouts are built through name value, social media, and video packages. We know WWE can do this. They’re doing it for Ronda Rousey, Kurt Angle, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon. Instead of doing it for Asuka, Charlotte, AJ Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura, they’d rather have Charlotte slip on banana peels or have Nakamura and Styles play little reindeer games.

The booking won’t matter all that much in a week when these four steal the show. But the build highlights just how much WWE is banking on a great matches to save their lacking story.

Other Roads to WrestleMania

*YOU CAN DO THIS, DOLPH! ANSWER JOHN CENA’S CHALLENGE!

*But seriously, this is what Ziggler came back for? He threw down the US title so he could headline WrestleMania….and now he’s in the battle royal. Dude, at least go to Daniel Bryan and say, “I never lost the belt. Let me prove that Orton is only champion because I allowed him to be champion.” Imagine trying to get behind Ziggler as a character when he’s constantly presented as an idiot who doesn’t care.

*Shane McMahon wrestling 12 days after being hospitalized with diverticulitis would be a bigger slap in the face to Brock Lesnar than any spear delivered by Roman Reigns.

*The mixed tag team match is going to be so rough unless Rousey just submits Stephanie within 10 seconds of the two getting in the ring. Rousey’s timing is so bad, Angle looked shot at Survivor Series, Stephanie isn’t a wrestler, and Triple H will want his 30-minute epic.

*Adding Rusev to the US title match officially made every match on the show interesting in my book. Well done, WWE.