Ranking Every Raw Vs SmackDown WWE Survivor Series Match From Worst To Best

6. Seth Rollins Vs Shinsuke Nakamura (2018)

Bray Wyatt Dean Ambrose Chris Jericho
WWE.com

At least Shinsuke Nakamura looked absolutely f*cking incredible in his SmackDown ensemble - it was an excuse for losing the first 15 minutes of this particular match to marvelling at his magnificent blue hue.

The remaining six minutes of this surprisingly satisfying scrap were the best bits anyway. The US and Intercontinental Champions fused technique and time to craft one of the more enjoyable singles matches of the 'King Of Strong Style's muddled main roster career. The finishing sequence in particular was the sort of workrate-heavy conclusion that once made Rollins such a reliable presence on the red brand. A set of big moves, reversals and nearfalls left Nakamura prone for both a ripcord knee and the stomp - back then one was enough.

Nakamura wasn't kicking out from the combos, but he wasn't looking particularly worse for it as a result. There was a respectful nod from the SmackDown Live star to his Raw contemporary in the aftermath too. One suspects the 'King Of Strong Style' wouldn't be quite as bothered with any of that just 12 months on.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett