What’s the story?
WWE Superstar AJ Styles was in Atlanta this week during the Smackdown LIVE tapings. He made a guest appearance on Rock 100.5's Bailey And Southside for an interview where Styles spoke at length about the fanfare surrounding his blue brand colleague Shinsuke Nakamura.
During the interview, Styles said that he was aware of the fact that fans were looking forward to an eventual Styles versus Nakamura match in a WWE ring.
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In case you didn’t know...
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura put on a Match of the Year contender at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in January 2016. Nakamura won the bout while retaining the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. The two men were then WWE bound and have had contrasting careers in the company.
While Styles was thrust into the main event picture just months after his debut at Royal Rumble in January 2016, Nakamura made it to the main roster after working through NXT, winning the NXT Championship twice in the process.
The heart of the matter
AJ Styles put Nakamura over as one of the biggest wrestling talents in the world. He acknowledged that many fans wanted to see them square off in a WWE ring. The Phenomenal One said that given that the two men were in the same brand, a match was sure to happen at some time in future.
“We've done it before for a different company, but never in the WWE. I think something like that is going to happen. It has to.”
Styles said that Nakamura had an MMA background and is a hard hitter in the ring. Styles pointed out that Nakamura’s flamboyance often overshadows the fact that he is a legitimate tough guy. Styles revealed that Nakamura was a big Michael Jackson fan and his entrance walk had shades of the King of Pop.
What’s next?
AJ Styles and Nakamura will be up against each other on June 18 at Money in the Bank. The match will also feature the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens.
All six men will compete in a ladder match to become Mr. Money in The Bank and earn the opportunity to cash in the Money in the Bank contract for a shot at the WWE Championship. Earlier reports suggested that WWE has been planning to book Styles vs. Nakamura for either WrestleMania or SummerSlam and if recent events of the duo tagging together are anything to go by, the Wrestle Kingdom 10 rematch could very well happen at SummerSlam.
Author's Take
It is a fan’s dream to watch AJ Styles go up against Shinsuke Nakamura. Both men are excellent performers and a strong argument can be made for the two being the best performers in the world at the moment. However, a high-profile match such as this warrants a stage as big as Wrestlemania.
It would be a travesty to have the two men face off for the first time in any PPV other than the ‘Grand Daddy of Them All.’ As fans, we can only wait as the WWE marches on into New Orleans next year.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
