10 Precise Moments Wrestling Fans Rejected Internet Darlings
6. Shinsuke Nakamura - WWE WrestleMania 34
And everything will proceed cyclically.
In 2017, Dolph Ziggler became the de facto 'WWE guy' when the more fashionable Shinsuke Nakamura defeated him at Backlash in a shockingly average encounter. It was felt that maybe Ziggler had become jaded, or that this was Nakamura being told to slow it down and make the crowd wait for it as an early main roster "test".
Still, fans persisted. It wasn't the first time WWE, a wrestling promotion, had conspired to make a world class talent look mid. The failure of the subsequent programme with Jinder Mahal was naturally blamed on Jinder, who couldn't be elevated, and fans were thus still behind Nakamura as he capped off an electrifying final four to win the 2018 Royal Rumble.
This was it; took a year longer than it should have, but really, given Roman Reigns' career arc, Nakamura was rocket-strapped by modern WWE standards. Positioned in a can't-fail spot, opposite known, incredible opponent AJ Styles in front of 60,000+ fans, Nakamura failed.
The match was a dull, lethargic sequel to their blistering NJPW Wrestle Kingdom encounter, and the penny dropped: Nakamura hadn't been "main rostered", but was all too happy working the WWE style.