10 Shocks WWE Could Pull At WrestleMania 34

5. Shinsuke And AJ Styles Get The Short Thrift

Roman Lesnar
wwe.com

AJ Styles Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, at WrestleMania 34, was booked by the fandom long before January 28, 2018.

It is precisely the reason both men were signed to WWE in the first place: to contest a major dream match on the Grandest Stage as a means of reinforcing to the hardcores that the company cares about their continued support. That they worked for and were at the forefront of the rising New Japan league is no coincidence.

The match feels like a compromise, and it's telling that WWE presents it as the funhouse mirror image of Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns. That's the match many pretend not to care about, though the reaction will tell a different story. AJ Vs. Shinsuke is the match fans do care about - but how much does WWE care about it? On the evidence of the televised build, not a great deal. Even at this juncture, with the SmackDown go-home show in sight, Kevin Dunn will struggle to assemble footage to craft even a four-minute pre-match hype video.

The match needs at least 20 minutes to reach its immense and epic potential, and to position it among the great wars of 'Mania yore. The match was always about the match, and not the storyline.

This idea should materialise in New Orleans.

Probability Percentage: 20%

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!