3 WWE Dream matches that lived up to the hype and 2 that didn't

#1 Dream match that disappointed the WWE Universe - AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura was one of the most renowned wrestlers in Japan. When he left NJPW and signed with WWE NXT, everybody started picking Superstars for a dream match with Shinsuke. If there was one name that showed up on everybody’s list, it was AJ Styles. Styles and Nakamura were no strangers.

They faced each other in Japan for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 10 and it was one hell of a match. From the storytelling to in-ring action, everything worked perfectly. The WWE Universe wanted Styles and Nakamura to recreate the magic of their previous encounter on a bigger stage with WWE.

Shinsuke Nakamura made his debut on Smackdown Live in 2017. He became part of many dream matches as part of the "blue brand." He slew John Cena, defeated Randy Orton, and eliminated Roman Reigns to win the 2018 Royal Rumble match.

His Royal Rumble victory punched his ticket to fight AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. WWE rightfully promoted it as a dream match. While the build-up to the match wasn’t extraordinary, fans still had high expectations from it. At WrestleMania 34, the crowd expected Styles and Nakamura to set the world on fire.

AJ Styles v. Shinsuke Nakamura dream match for the WWE Title at WrestleMania, Streaming Live This Sun. on WWE Network

— WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2018

When the match was over, it was nothing but a sheer disappointment. The WWE Universe couldn't believe that two of the very best in the business let everybody down. The match started slow and the crowd also wasn’t into it from the beginning. Styles picked up the victory after he executed a Styles Clash on Nakamura.

The match wasn't nearly as good as their Wrestle Kingdom classic. While talking to Corey Graves on his podcast, After the Bell, Styles had the following to say:

"Expectations are way too high. I know Nakamura [thought so] too because no matter what we would have done in that match, the expectations were way too high. Here's what a lot of people don't understand. Crowd, fans, the WWE Universe, New Japan and all that stuff, their fans are everything. They set the tone on what is a great match. They dictate a great match. It's just the reality and the truth of the whole thing, and a lot of people don't understand.

The only big takeaway from the match came after AJ’s victory when Shinsuke Nakamura turned heel and hit him with a low blow. Besides that, the match was lackluster. Both Superstars fought at the next three pay-per-view events but they never made up for their disappointing dream match at WrestleMania.