10 Things WWE Fans Have To Look Forward To In 2018

7. A Match Between Daniel Bryan And Shinsuke Nakamura

Spiteful Man
WWE

The WWE version of Shinsuke Nakamura is nowhere near the New Japan vintage. That may not matter when it comes time to face Daniel Bryan at some point this year.

No longer able to batter Bryan into a state of pure sympathy, as Shinsuke did to Kota Ibushi throughout their psychotically stiff Wrestle Kingdom 9 classic, the Artist can simply sh*thouse his way into generating heat instead. Nakamura is also very proficient in the less painstaking art of mat wrestling, something at which Bryan is so good awards were literally named after his technical excellence. Nakamura wrestles a safer style because he is in a state of physical decline and/or is instructed to do so by WWE management. A match with Daniel Bryan promises to optimise this new version of Nakamura and the riotous heel character that hasn't quite translated between the ropes.

What inspires real optimism here - as opposed to bargaining - is that in spite of the mounting, inconvenient evidence that Nakamura simply isn't the explosive in-ring performer of yore, we know that both men have dreamed about this match the second Nakamura signed with the company. It has existed in the minds of these two once-legendary performers for at least two years.

Made real, it may rehabilitate each.

Contributor
Contributor

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!