Predicting The Next 10 WWE Champions
Gold Rush
AJ Styles' current WWE Title run stands to be the longest in nearly four years if he can cling on to it past June 17th's Money In The Bank pay-per-view match with Shinsuke Nakamura. At 220 and 224 days respectively, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar's lengthy tenures will both be toppled if the 'Phenomenal One' leaves 'The King Of Strong Style' out for the count in their Last Man Standing feud-ender. **Spoiler Alert** for this article: he won't.
In truth, Styles' most recent run hasn't been SmackDown Live!'s shining light most expected it to be when he liberated the prized possession from Jinder Mahal last November. By comparison to that, his run's been serviceable, but in contrast to his own prior effort with the strap it's been a huge disappointment.
Matches with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were destroyed by the clunky storylines that frustratingly defined them, whilst the Shinsuke 'dream' series has at times been cursed with nightmarish finishes deemed necessary to extend the programme beyond the initial thrills of Nakamura's nut-obsessed heel turn.
Just how will 'The Artist' will become top b*llocks at the June supershow? And what next for the blue brand's biggest prize?
10. Shinsuke Nakamura (Money In The Bank 2018)
Jerry Jarrett's recent emergence on Twitter brought with it a tacit dig at the TNA wrestlers he saw 'practicing' before early pay-per-view tapings in 2002. On timeframe alone, it's fair to assume 'The Phenomenal' AJ Styles was one of the performers working through the gears of one of his iconic X Division clashes. If he could be that prepared as a rookie, surely he can think enough to at least wear a cup 16 years later?
Styles has left his balls exposed every week since the inaugural WrestleMania nutcracker, but surely Shinsuke can't go below the belt in order to claim it from Styles when they collide for the final time.
It should take multiple Kinshasas to keep the Champion down - but so it should. AJ is the ultimate babyface, and Nakamura's viciousness will be a vital component in his character going forward if he intends to build on his d*ckheaded new persona with the title in tow.