5 Matches WWE must build up for WrestleMania 34 from Royal Rumble 2018
The beginning of the road to WrestleMania 34, which is the Royal Rumble 2018, is just days away. With the match card already revealed, the excitement is at its zenith, and fans all over the globe are speculating about the possible outcomes of the matches and their important repercussions.
This year, the biggest change to the Royal Rumble is the addition of the women's Rumble match for the first time ever, with the WWE boasting of having one of their largest women's roster of all time.
As the results of this event have a direct effect on the biggest event is WWE, the WrestleMania, here are 5 matches which the creative team must plan out carefully in the build-up to WrestleMania 34:
#5 AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
After being the better show of WWE for most of 2016 and the first half of 2017, Tuesday night Smackdown Live has been on a downward spiral. The ratings for the show have gone down considerably, with the repetitive nature of the matches and lack of fresh storylines resulting in a predictable and boring show. Putting the top championship on Jinder Mahal for a long time didn't help at all.
But recently, the pairing of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn has infused some interest among the fans. Their antics have consistently garnered top attention. And now, WWE has the opportunity to further elevate the buzz around the show by pitting two of its best performers against each other: AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship.
The reason why this match is so eagerly awaited is the history of these two competitors. They have already chalked out a peach of a match at the New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016. Ever since these two set foot in WWE, fans have been dreaming of a match between these two.
AJ Styles is easily the best wrestler on WWE's roster right now and he consistently gets the best out of his opponents, be it Jinder Mahal or a squash match specialist like Brock Lesnar. He is the current WWE Champion and is scheduled to face Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a handicap match with his championship on the line at the Royal Rumble. However, it is expected (the WWE's creative team hopefully proceeds in this direction) that he retains the titles, and goes to WrestleMania 34, a champion.
Shinsuke Nakamura is competing in the men's Royal Rumble event this year. Although there are various possible outcomes, Shinsuke Nakamura winning the rumble and booking his ticket to WrestleMania 34 seems the safest and the most fan-friendly option going forward.
Hopefully, WWE has learned from its past mistakes of forcing Roman Reigns over, especially at big events like Royal Rumble.
If this happens, surely this years WrestleMania would be heavily hyped and followed, which would be a win-win situation for everyone.