10 Recent Mistakes That WWE MUST Learn From
4. The Mahal Vs. Nakamura Program
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal wasn't SummerSlam's worst match, but it wasn't far off either. 'The King Of Strong Style's workrate has dwindled on the main roster, while Jinder remains one of the most basic workers in the company, and somebody whose flaws must be hidden by endless Singh Brothers distractions. Their bout was always going to suck, and so it transpired.
Fans could have put up with the dull match had it produced the right outcome, but it didn't. Mahal successfully overcame Nakamura, needlessly killing his main roster undefeated streak, and dealing further damage to the former NXT Champion's rapidly dwindling star power.
If prolonging Mahal's title reign was the preferred outcome, then WWE shouldn't have booked the match in the first place. It was too early for Nakamura to lose his streak, and while there's still a chance he'll take the belt from 'The Modern Day Maharaja,' SummerSlam was a pointless hold-up. Now we're doomed to another pay-per-view cycle with Mahal as champion, and if Nak does triumph, the moment will feel a lot less exciting than it should have.
WWE have continually demonstrated their inability to preserve Nakamura's superstar aura over the past few months. Is it unreasonable to expect this to change? Perhaps, but it shouldn't be.