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What's the story?
A day after Shane McMahon announced a rematch at Money In The Bank between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, a non-title match between the two rivals was booked for this week's episode of SmackDown Live.
The winner of their match this week will win the right to determine the stipulation for the Championship match at Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
In case you didn't know
Styles and Nakamura's first match at Wrestle Kingdom 10 was considered one of the best matches of 2016 and made fans anticipate their eventual rematch in WWE.
Their first match under the WWE banner took place at WrestleMania 34 and has been continuing since.
The heart of the matter
This will mark the first time that Styles and Nakamura have competed in singles action without a title on the line and marks their fifth overall encounter.
The double count-out to their match at the Greatest Royal Rumble lead to a No Disqualification match being announced for Backlash. But, that match ended in a draw when both men hit each other below the belt.
Since they've already had regular singles matches and a No Disqualification match, their next bout will more than likely be a Last Man Standing or another stipulation that wouldn't prolong the feud.
However, if the company wants to prolong their feud, then the match at Money In the Bank will more than likely end with controversy.
What's next?
This feud was in high-demand when it was booked for WrestleMania 34, but the continued controversy and uneventful endings has decreased fans interest in the program.
If the company wants to end the feud on a high note, their match on SmackDown and at Money In The Bank should have a clean finish.
Author's take
This seemed like a feud that was destined to be great, but WWE managed to bring it down.
Hopefully, their match at Money In The Bank pay-per-view has a stipulation that won't lead to more bad endings.
