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In my previous article, I discussed the possible outcomes and implications of Roman Reigns winning the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. This article focuses on the same core topic.
But this time, let's switch brands and talk about the fate of the WWE Championship, had Shinsuke Nakamura won it at WrestleMania 34.
Due to the current booking, as tough as it is to believe, but it was not long ago that Shinsuke Nakamura was one of the biggest stars in WWE.
The King Of Strong Style was the favorite to win the Royal Rumble last year. And rightfully, he did win it. After his win, he announced immediately that he'll be facing AJ Styles.
These words started what was a dream feud for many, The Phenomenal One vs The Artist. These two previously wrestled each other at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Nakamura came out victorious, in what was a great match and showing from two of the best pro wrestlers in the world.
The feud had a great potential to skyrocket Nakamura to the top of the WWE food chain. The build-up to the feud wasn't something really special though.
Being a face vs face match, it was supposed to be about mutual respect and to prove who is a better wrestler. The match in itself was pretty good but not as great as their Wrestle Kingdom showdown. But contrary to the popular predictions, Nakamura lost to AJ Styles clean.
After the match, Nakamura delivered a low-blow to AJ Styles, shocking millions of fans and turning heel. Though his heel run didn't turn out to be impressive. Even though he won the United States Championship, he wasn't booked as a strong champion, and his reign turned stale. Right now, he's just another guy lost in the mid-card scene of SmackDown.
In this article, we take a look and speculate the potential storylines and outcomes had Shinsuke won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article belong to the writer and doesn't necessarily represent Sportskeeda's stand.
#1 A deserving title run for Nakamura
Nakamura is one of the best wrestlers in the pro wrestling world. Even before signing with WWE, he was one of the hottest acts in the business.
Considering how he was booked in NXT, where he became only the second man to win the NXT championship twice, a lot of fans were eager to see him as the WWE Champion.
In all honesty, Nakamura deserves to be the first "recognized" Japanese wrestler to become the WWE Champion.
Winning a championship at WrestleMania is one of the biggest achievement of any wrestler's career, and Nakamura definitely deserved his WrestleMania moment.
Even though it was a nice swerve to let Styles win the match, no one would have complained if Nakamura defeated him to become the new WWE Champion.
Nakamura low blowing The Phenomenal One without the referee noticing and then pinning him to win the title would have given him a lot of heat, which brings us to our next point.
#2 A heel Nakamura as WWE Champion
Nakamura's heel turn, as we all know, hasn't turned out to be great for him. WWE did everything in their power to make sure fans boo him, but it backfired as people stopped giving any reaction to him. They even removed his theme song which was so popular (I personally loved it).
After turning heel, he continued to challenge AJ Styles unsuccessfully for the title many times.
This ultimately degraded his value as a legitimate top star. He was booked as a heel who even after all his antics, couldn't win the championship.
Had he turned heel and won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34, we would have got a refreshing heel champion who possesses great in-ring abilities.
Booking Nakamura as a dominating champion who wants to protect his title would have been a better option. He could have had interesting feuds with Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio, only this time, he would be booked as a dominating champion.
#3 Daniel Bryan winning the title at SummerSlam '18
After successfully defending his title against the likes of Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio, Nakamura is full of momentum heading into SummerSlam '18.
At this point, Bryan who has already returned to the squared circle challenges him for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam.
Daniel Bryan vs Shinsuke Nakamura is a fresh match-up, something that WWE storylines often miss. Fans don't like watching two same wrestlers fighting again and again, as it becomes boring soon.
During the build-up, Bryan brings upon the fact that Nakamura couldn't have won the Championship without unfair measures.
Nakamura replies by saying unlike Bryan he focuses on winning the championship and keeping it with him, no matter how he does it.
At SummerSlam, we get a stellar match between the two top superstars of SmackDown Live. The match ends with Bryan countering the Kinshasa and hitting a running knee to become the New WWE Champion.
#4 Daniel Bryan vs Finn Balor at Survivor Series
If you have followed my last article, Finn Balor turns heel and becomes the Universal Champion at SummerSlam'18 by defeating Roman Reigns.
At Survivor Series, the champions of both brands clash to determine brand supremacy.
With Bryan as the WWE Champion on SmackDown and Balor as the Universal Champion on RAW, fans are bound to be heavily invested throughout this feud. During the build-up, Bryan being the face praises Balor calling him the deserving champion and one of his favorites.
Balor on RAW cuts a promo taunting Bryan stating that he's surprised Bryan hasn't relinquished the WWE title yet, referring to Bryan's unfortunate injuries that forced him to relinquish both of his last two titles.
This enrages Bryan who attacks Balor during SmackDown's invasion of RAW next week.
At Survivor Series, Bryan gets a surprise as Balor comes out as the Demon King to face him. After a great back-and-forth match, in which the fans are on their feet all the time, Balor defeats Bryan after hitting two back to back Coup De Grace.
#5 Daniel Bryan vs Samoa Joe at Royal Rumble '19
After nearly defeating the Demon King at Survivor Series, Bryan has a short feud with Andrade. At TLC, Andrade gets pinned after a great showing in the match. During the post-match celebration, Samoa Joe blindsides Bryan and attacks him viciously on the ringside.
On the next SmackDown, Joe explains his desire to become the WWE Champion. He says that Bryan is a joke as a champion and the WWE title needs a better holder than him. Bryan replies back calling Joe a coward for attacking him from behind.
Joe mocks Bryan's loss to Balor by reminding him that he's the only man in WWE to defeat the Demon King. "If you surrendered to the Demon, how would you survive the force that even the Demon fears!"
At Royal Rumble, Joe and Bryan have a hard-hitting match, with both of them surviving numerous near falls. In the end, Joe makes Bryan pass out to the Coquina Clutch, thus winning his first WWE Championship.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
