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What’s the story?
Next week’s SmackDown Live episode will see Randy Orton face Shinsuke Nakamura in a No. 1 Contender’s match for the WWE Championship.
In case you didn’t know...
The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion debuted on the main roster following the Superstar Shakeup and has been in the mix with some of SmackDown’s biggest stars since. Nakamura became a contender for the WWE Championship when he defeated John Cena and went on to challenge Jinder Mahal for the title at SummerSlam.
Following interference from the Singh Brothers, Mahal managed to defeat Nakamura and retain the WWE Championship past SummerSlam and hold the title for 100 days.
The heart of the matter
The match was announced via Twitter and will mark the first time that Orton and Nakamura will compete in singles action.
The announcement of this match seems to be following a trend from the company that gives big matches away at lesser shows. The trend was set back in March when AJ Styles and Orton competed in a No. 1 Contender’s match for Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship, only for the WrestleMania match between Wyatt and Orton to be highly disappointing.
The second time this occurred was a few weeks ago when Nakamura faced Cena in a No. 1 Contender’s match to challenge Mahal at SummerSlam.
Monday Night Raw seems to be operating on a similar trend with Cena vs. Reigns being announced for No Mercy despite the opinion of many wrestling fans and WWE officials that it was a WrestleMania caliber match.
What’s next?
Rumors regarding an extended feud between Mahal and Nakamura suggest that "The King of Strong Style" will emerge victorious next week.
Orton delivered an RKO to Nakamura following their tag team match tonight, but that may be the last time he stands tall.
Author’s Take
Despite wanting to see this on a bigger stage, Orton facing Nakamura is a dream match for many and could make for a great edition of SmackDown Live.
