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Here’s the latest WZ Forum Files topic:
How Would You Book the AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Feud?
Responses
From Nu Sexier Noun
In essence, there’s really not much to go on in terms of a feud between the two. Their match is set. There’s no personal issues between the two. It’s just a champion and a man who beat 29 other men to challenge him. But, not much is still something. I’m not going to go week by week, because quite frankly who has time to write about what happens on a show every week? Instead I’m going to break the build up into three phases. The start, the middle and the end Dealing with the duo, confirming the carrier and Racing to Wrestlemania
Dealing with the duo
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are still around and are an issue that’s so past needing to be put to bed it’s unreal. At Wrestlemania, AJ beat both of them at once. Yet they’re still not accepting the fact that AJ is on a level they are not. This past week on Smackdown it was announced that AJ will be defeating facing one of them at Fast Lane. Screw that, this fued is played out and they lost. I’d accelerate this programme so AJ can have a different challenge for Fast Lane. On 6/2/18 they face off for the contendership but instead of waiting a month for the title match they get it on 13/2/18. AJ defeats Zayn cleanly in the middle of the ring. Nakamura is ringside and hits the Kinshasa on Owens when they look like they’re trying to get involved. They get no more chances. They are DONE being in the title picture for the time being.
Confirming the Carrier
Now that Sami and Owens are out of the way we can move on to Fast Lane on 11/03/18. But AJ needs a challenger for Fast Lane. Can’t have the champion missing a PPV – what is this, Raw? I hear you ask. Well it’s your lucky day… your lucky Rusev Day that is. Daniel Bryan’s recently announced Smackdown ranking system comes into play. He’s not got a challenger and according to the locker room Rusev is who they want to see get the shot. He and English get a tag match against AJ and Nakamura that gets interrupted by the OZ. AJ wins a close match that makes Rusev look like a star. English, at ringside does not interfere, but does provide moral support to his friend.
It might sound like I’ve not spoken about Shinsuke much, well that’s where he enters the frame properly. Remember how he clocked Kevin earlier? Well Kevin uses that as grounds to whine his way into a match with Nakamura at Fast Lane, with the winner losing their spot in the Wrestlemania Main Event. Nakamura wins via Kinshasa. At this point the duo explodes leading to a grudge match at Wrestlemania.
Racing to Wrestlemania
Now we’re in the finishing stretch. We know the match, now it’s time to start getting people excited for it. At this stage Nakamura looks to be the only man close to being able to beat AJ, and now we start getting into the meat and potatos of the build. I’m not talking about matches, I’m talking video packages. It’s time to talk about Japan, specifically January 4th 2016 Wrestle Kingdom 10. AJ’s penultimate match in NJPW, where Shinsuke Nakamura defeated him for the intercontinental championship. AJ walked into the biggest match of his career to that point the challenger in front of a packed stadium to take his shot at the King…. and he missed. That match sent AJ from the company, doubting himself and to WWE, where he found himself again. Now Nakamura’s in his shoes walking into the biggest match of his career. You want to take your shot, King? You’d best not miss.
From Nakamura’s perspective things are the same but different. AJ Styles hasn’t changed a bit. Oh sure, he’s won gold but when it comes to backing up his claims? He’s no face that runs the place, he’s the Schlub that left the club. When Nakamura saw AJ Styles in WWE he knew where he needed to be? You beat up John Cena – big deal. Shinsuke Nakamura beat up AJ Styles, YEAOH!
That’s the general message of the hype promos. From here on out, the two never touch one another. They tease it a few times, AJ faints the phenominal forearm, Nakamura the Kinshasa but things never come to blows, no matter how tense things get. AJ the champion with the chip on his shoulder and a desire to prove that he can beat Nakamura when it matters. Nakamura the challenger who AJ could never beat. The king awaiting his coronation.
Can AJ Styles overcome his nemesis? Can Shinsuke Nakamura do what AJ could not, and beat the champion in the biggest match of his career? Find out April 8th only on the WWE Network for only $9.99 a month.
More Responses on the Next Page
From Jack-Hammer
I’m sort of leaning in the same direction as GSB in that the best way to go is probably the simplest ways possible. I disagree about Styles on the mic, I think he’s come a helluva long way from what he used to be and I think he infuses enough personality into his promo work without going overboard. He’s not dynamic, he’s not one of the all time greats, but he can do what he’s supposed to do. As for Nakamura, his English skills are going to prevent him from doing any real talking on the mic, at least to anything beyond a minute or two.
One thing I’d consider doing is to setting something up like this beginning this week: Styles finishes a bout against either Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn after winning via disqualification after which he’s beaten down. He’s being helped backstage to the training area where he’s stopped by Nakamura and tells him that his troubles as champion haven’t really even begun yet before walking off. Over the next few weeks, Nakamura continues to make little smart comments to Styles, maybe getting into Styles’ head a little, resulting in Styles eventually putting his hands on Nakamura. Nothing serious, just a few punches before slamming him into the wall before walking away. Things continue to grow heated in the coming weeks with escalating levels of physicality between them, brawling backstage, brawling around the ringside area, the locker room emptying to separate them. After Fastlane, they keep them separated but maybe show some videos of both of them in the gym preparing, training for the match, speaking about the other, etc.. Now, this next bit is unlikely but this is how I’d do it. I’d reach out to New Japan and ask them if it’s okay to use footage of Styles vs. Nakamura while they were in Japan going at it for the IWGP IC Championship in preparation for a sit-down interview with them in the ring on the go home SmackDown Live. Styles does his thing, hypes the match, hypes how important it is to be in “the main event” of WrestleMania, etc. Nakamura, in maybe the most serious he’s been, tells Styles that the reason he’s gotten into his head so easily is because AJ himself knows that he(AJ) can’t beat him(Nakamura.) Styles knows that his time as champion is almost up and is trying to hide it. Nakamura tells them to roll the footage, footage is rolled and we see Styles losing to Nakamura. After the footage ends, Nakamura tells Styles that whether it’s New Japan or WWE, he’s the better man and walks out of the ring.
Not the most original, probably not even the best, but I think it’d do the job.
More Responses on the Next Page
From George Steele’s Barber
This is really difficult. You don’t get any free weeks with these two guys. They don’t take weeks off at a time. The secondary men’s title can’t carry the show. Neither has a mouthpiece or is really that gifted on the mic. They’re both faces for a good reason. You also have a PPV to get through as well that already feels completely predetermined.
So what do they do creatively for the next two months? You can only beat Corbin/Zayn/Rusev so many times before fans lose interest and just start seeing the match as “nothing but the least interesting main event that was booked just to please the smarks”.
So what do they do? I don’t think there is a great answer. I think they can keep the feud turned down for awhile. Maybe have Nak throw some shots at Styles by talking about not getting too focused on Styles since he may not ever make it to WM as champ.
At Backlash then have Nak at ringside for Styles’ title defense. Although it is unnecessary, have Nak help Styles win. In the follow up week of SD, have Nak state that he wants to face Styles at Mania so he made sure it happened. Nothing over the top, not a blatant heel turn, just mind games. Commentators can question if Nak feels like he wants Styles because he wants the best competition or because he knows he can beat him. Leave Styles confused and questioning Nak’s intentions, he has a naturally confused look on his face some of the time anyway.
Then repeat this one or two times on the remaining episodes of SD until AJ can’t take the mind games any longer. Maybe even book a title match on the last SD where Nak takes out Styles opponent before the match even starts or he hurts Styles during the match giving Styles the DQ win.
At this point AJ can snap and go at it with Nak for a few minutes of strong action until Bryan sends the locker room out to stop his main eventers from ruining their WM match.
At this point they go to Mania, get 15 to 25 minutes to wow the smarks. Nak wins cleanly and AJ goes to Raw.
Just a thought. Nothing too exciting or complicated. In the end a really tough feud to build.
WZ Forum Files #19 Topic Revealed on the Next Page!
WZ Forum Files Topic #19:
Where Does Miz Rank As Intercontinental Champion?
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