WrestleMania 34’s Main Event Should Be AJ Styles vs Nakamura

Hopefully the last match of the night at WrestleMania 34. AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship. Courtesy of WWE

By Matthew Klink (@klinkmatt)

4/5/2018

We all know the games that are played by the WWE. Certain things that are done and said to give a proverbial nod or pat on the back. Let the ‘guys in the back’ know who is earning ‘it’ and give the right guy his dues. That being said, we still walk away from some of these things that are said or done and they don’t feel…quite right.

What am I talking about? I’m talking about CM Punk. Him holding the title…for what seemed like forever…but still not getting to end WrestleMania. I’m talking about the guys who have won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and have done absolutely nothing after that. I’m talking about the guys who get their TV time, get chances to sniff the main event, and even get in those main event matches. But will never…ever…eclipse the likes of John Cena, Triple H, or the big dog, Roman Reigns.

If I get a little more specific, what is bugging me now is how WrestleMania is going to end. There are so many ‘Main Event’ matches or ‘Main Event’ caliber bouts that...well, to be called a Main Event match means less than it used to. Growing up, the Main Event was the Main Event. There was one match, it was the last match, and it was often (to my younger untrained eye) the best match of the night.

Now obviously, guys are looking to impress, make a name for themselves, and be that match you talk about a decade later. That match that, even though it wasn’t billed as the main event, stole the show. Those matches are pretty much the only thing I watch on the WWE Network between the weekly broadcasts. The Mid-card matches that started with Steamboat and Savage and now include the likes of Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho, and Dolph Ziggler.

These guys put some of their matches into a legendary status, but are never given true recognition for their talents. Like say...'Main Event-ing' WrestleMania. Since this is an on-going issue, the fear is always “who’s next”? Who is going to be the next guy forgotten despite his outstanding talents (hopefully not Finn Balor).

That isn’t to say that whoever isn’t in the last match will disappear forever, but it doesn’t help. Putting two guys as the topper to a wonderful celebration of pro wrestling is everything you would think it means. Those two guys (or more) have been told that nothing will top this match. Nothing will get the crowd more excited and nothing will be remembered as much as this match will be remembered.

Does the WWE always get that right? HEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL NO! But let’s start getting it right this year!

If you listen to the podcast or read the blogs regularly, you know that my brother and I are huge Nakamura fans! I turn into a little kid when his song comes on and I start mimicking his entrance and dancing around my living room. I haven’t done that since I was a little boy. Jumping on the couch and flipping off my Dad like I was Stone Cold Steve Austin (obviously, I got in a ton of trouble for that).

And who isn’t a huge fan of AJ Styles? The man is firecracker from the south and puts on an acrobatic show unlike any other. While his moves could work in 205 Live, he does such an amazing job crafting his art, he becomes believable against the likes of John Cena and Roman Reigns. Where others would appear too small or too weak.

AJ Styles and Nakamura have stunned and entertained the crowd for these past 3 months without having a great story or a lot of time to craft that story with their words (and some of that for good reason). I still know I need to see these two fight at WrestleMania. Even without 3 months of seeing them throw chairs at each other or tie each other up in the ring. These guys don’t even really boast about how tough they are or how much better they are than the other. They just keep talking about this “Dream Match”. They know its special, the writers know, we know…hell…even Vince knows. Its going to tear the house down. Its going to be talked about for ages. I can only imagine I’ll be watching this match over and over, just like the last Main Event in the last trip to New Orleans when the WWE took a chance on another little guy.

So why the heck do I know (KNOW!!!!!) that Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are going to end the show?

Well, Roman is the chosen one. He was built in NXT and there he learned the way of the WWE Superstar. Only he can be at the top of this company, because it was he, who the WWE formed from Triple H's rib. Vince tore into Triple H's chest, ripped out a rib and squished, pulled, and squeezed it into the shape of a super handsome, built, greasy locked, Samoan.

While you can't blame the WWE for wanting to make their champion a guy they created...It makes no sense to me.

We know the outcome of this match.

We know Roman is destined to be in the Main Event for the rest of his career.

We know UFC is calling Brock home.

And we know that match isn't going to be five stars.

Let’s not forget that WrestleMania attendees still don’t like Roman Reigns. Sure, you can get the odd Raw and house shows to cheer for Roman. But this is no House Show. This where fans from all over the world come to celebrate pro wrestling…and of course…nauseatingly prove that they aren’t marks. Do you please them with seeing Roman Reigns standing in the middle of the ring with confetti falling on his head? No…absolutely not. And to be honest. If I was there, I'd be booing just because Roman got the main event spot over AJ and Nakamura.

If Brock is leaving…good lord could that go bad. We saw what happened the first time he left. Stone Cold had to come in and open up a can of whoop ass to get the fans cheering. And man…the amount of work in the editing room to make that match watchable on the network (getting rid of the boo’s and all). If pleasing the fans isn’t reason enough to let the “Dream Match” end the night, then do it for the editing room.

I’m not sure why it isn’t embarrassing to have your fans boo the end of your show so many times, but it continues to happen. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. But the writing is on the wall here. No one is against AJ Styles and Nakamura. We all know it’s going to be great. I mean…even the WWE was smart enough to title it the “Dream Match”. So don’t even take that chance. It’s simple. 

You honor the fans, the sport of pro wrestling, and your own show, by having Nakamura and AJ Styles put on a clinic and give the WWE fans one of the greatest matches of all time. Let it be the story that defines this year’s WrestleMania.

Having Nakamura and Styles fight somewhere in the middle is just another way to give that fake pat on the back. A fake nod to two guys who are going to be the reason people pay for their network subscription. The reason people will recall this WrestleMania as ‘WrestleMania 34’ and not just another night.

Please…for all of wrestling fans and fools like me who pay their monthly WWE fan dues to the network. Give us what we want and let AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura end the night with genuine love, cheers, and dignity.

Matthew Klink (@klinkmatt on Twitter)

@BODPodcast for Twitter and Facebook