10 Biggest WWE Creative Mistakes Of 2018 (So Far)
6. Nutshot City
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles was the WWE dream match from the moment both walked into the company.
Fans had to wait a while, as when Styles leaped straight to the main roster, 'The King Of Strong Style' was made to grind through NXT first. Hype levels hit the roof following an electric Money In The Bank 2017 showdown, and when Nakamura won this year's Royal Rumble and immediately named the WWE Champion as his WrestleMania opponent, the bout was finally set.
It didn't deliver. Styles vs. Nakamura was solid, but several levels below the instant classic they worked at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10. Optimists wondered if the duo had deliberately held back to leave gas in the tank for a future bout. Shinsuke's shocking heel turn took the edge off the disappointment, and produced easily the most compelling character work of his main roster run up to that point... but only for a few weeks.
The feud soon became a one-note storyline built entirely around low blows and 10-counts. They ended up working five WWE Title bouts, all of which were good, but nowhere near the expected standards. Though some of the blame lies on the performers, the company must be held accountable for tanking their most anticipated feud with gimmicky nonsense.