Why Roman Reigns vs. Shinsuke Nakamura is a good idea
At WrestleMania 38, Roman Reigns achieved immortality when he defeated Brock Lesnar in a Championship Unification Match to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Also at the Show of Shows, Shinsuke Nakamura's partner Rick Boogs suffered a legitimate injury during the duo's SmackDown Tag Team Championship match against the The Usos. In the end, the numbers game proved too much for The King of Strong Style.
The WWE Universe wishes @rickboogswwe a quick recovery following last night's injury at #WrestleMania 38. https://t.co/pFMrvsHRAU
When the Head of the Table addressed his future plans on SmackDown this past week, he was interrupted by Nakamura. After Reigns showed sympathy and consideration for the former IC Champion, The Usos floored Nakamura with a Double Superkick.
While nothing is official, it seems possible that Shinsuke Nakamura and Roman Reigns are on a collision course at WrestleMania Backlash.
Roman Reigns and Shinsuke Nakamura will put on a fantastic wrestling match
From a pure in-ring standpoint, The Tribal Chief vs. The King of Strong Style is unlikely to disappoint. Reigns and Nakamura are two of this generation's most skilled and prolific competitors. Both men consistently put on stellar matches that receive positive responses from fans and critics alike.
Their arsenals are diverse, with both men employing a mixture of submission moves and hard-hitting blows. However, the Unified WWE Universal Champion is the more powerful of the two stars, and he would use his sheer strength to put Nakamura down.
The power vs. speed dynamic will also add another layer of intrigue to their encounter and the underdog role Nakamura will play to garner the crowd's support.
While Roman Reigns will most likely emerge victorious, a great wrestling match with compelling storytelling and a multitude of breathtaking spots is all but guaranteed.
Roman Reigns would garner considerable heat with a pinfall victory over Shinsuke Nakamura.
The fans will back Shinsuke Nakamura in his pursuit of the Unified WWE Universal Championship. The former NXT Champion has established himself as a lovable babyface that consistently generates positive crowd reactions.
Moreover, Boogs' injury and the Bloodline's unexpected ambush also helped rally the masses in favor of The King of Strong Style, who garnered some sympathy in the process.
The whole mantra of Roman Reigns' run at the top has revolved around acknowledgment. John Cena, Cesaro, Brock Lesnar and others have all been forced to acknowledge Reigns as the Head of the Table. A dominant victory over a fan-favorite like Nakamura will further enhance the Tribal Chief's credibility.
The rivalry also makes sense from a storyline perspective.
As mentioned, Nakamura was unsuccessful in capturing the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania. His program with the Usos would probably have continued had Boogs not suffered his injury.
The Head of the Table also empathized with the King of Strong Style, stating that he understood the pain of losing a tag team partner to injury, referring to Jimmy Uso's injury in 2020.
We don't know what @ShinsukeN was about to say but he just got some Bloodline Love courtesy of @WWERomanReigns and the @WWEUsos! 😲
#SmackDown https://t.co/bBFrPLhiO1
Given that the empathetic display was a ruse, Nakamura could now look to avenge his fallen friend and teach the Bloodline a lesson in respect. Reigns may have taken things too far with that ambush, and feigning sympathy must have irked the Japanese superstar.
It seems that WWE has few ideas for Nakamura at the moment. But pitting him against the company's top star would speak volumes about their faith in the King of Strong Style. Even though he will probably lose cleanly, Nakamura would receive a massive boost from a storyline with Reigns.