Shinsuke Nakamura Turns Heel At WrestleMania 34
"Knee to the face," indeed.
One of WWE's most beloved heroes turned to the dark side last night, with Shinsuke Nakamura sticking a knife in AJ Styles' back following their WrestleMania 34 WWE Championship match.
Having fallen to 'The Phenomenal One' in a bout cursed by astronomical expectations, 'The King Of Strong Style' pulled a swerve nobody saw coming, low-blowing Styles after presenting him with the belt. From there, Nakamura beat his new foe down, laying him out with a Kinshasa on the floor, before walking out on the stunned arena, defiant.
While technically sound, the bout lost the crowd early on. It was well worked, but suffered clear pacing issues, with a stodgy opening 15 minutes offering few dramatic twists. Regardless, the turn is what's most important.
Nakamura has played babyface since walking into the company in April 2016. The switch sets him on a new course in WWE, but the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion is no stranger to playing the villain - as those familiar with his NJPW work will testify.
This likely means the feud continuing through the next pay-per-view cycle, potentially leading to a rematch at Backlash (May 6th), though we'll have to wait for this week's SmackDown to learn more.