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Per Wrestling Standard (*a website affiliated with pro-wrestling news source PWStream), the WWE recently brought about major changes in its top storylines involving Andrade “Cien” Almas, Jeff Hardy and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Additionally, it’s being noted that the promotion's decision to keep the WWE Championship on AJ Styles is said to have created a butterfly effect which has affected Almas, Hardy and Nakamura. Besides, additional details on the same have also been noted.
Following Shinsuke Nakamura's historic Men's Royal Rumble Match win in January of this year, the vast majority of professional wrestling experts believed that Nakamura would defeat AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34 in April.
Nevertheless, Styles defeated Nakamura at WrestleMania, thereby successfully defending his WWE Championship - with the duo then continuing their rivalry until the Money In The Bank PPV which took place last month.
Nakamura then commenced a storyline with United States Champion Jeff Hardy, and is presently being advertised as the challenger for Hardy’s title at Extreme Rules.
We believe that the WWE's decision to keep the WWE Championship on AJ Styles has indeed created a butterfly effect which has impacted multiple storylines for better or worse.
In what further confirms our speculation, Wrestling Standard reports that the WWE’s "decision to cut AJ Styles' feud with Nakamura was a last minute one".
Additionally, the report states that WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy was initially scheduled to feud with Andrade "Cien" Almas, and not Shinsuke Nakamura.
It's being asserted that following a brief feud with Sin Cara, Almas would’ve entered a rivalry with Hardy, and possibly beaten Hardy for the US title. It was added that WWE boss Vince McMahon loves a foreign heel Superstar holding the United States title, owing to which the initial plan was to put the title on Almas (Mexican), which has now been changed to Nakamura (Japanese).
We strongly concur with the belief that the WWE plans on having Nakamura defeat Hardy for the US title at Extreme Rules.
Besides, Wrestling Standard notes that Nakamura winning the US title is in a way compensation for the Japanese maestro not winning the WWE Championship - with the WWE originally planning to have Nakamura defeat Styles for the title.
The report continued that WWE planned to have Nakamura defeat Styles for the WWE Championship, hold it for a short period of time, and then drop the title to Styles.
Nevertheless, the WWE refrained from going forward with that storyline, as they wanted to refrain from having the title flip-flop from one Superstar to another. Besides, Styles being on the cover of the WWE 2K19 video game may have also played a role in WWE choosing to keep the WWE Championship on "The Phenomenal One".
Presently, AJ Styles is set to defend his WWE Championship against Rusev at WWE’s Extreme Rules PPV which takes place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 15th.
Also at the Extreme Rules event, WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy is set to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura. Meanwhile, Andrade “Cien” Almas continues competing in dark matches against Sin Cara, and is yet to commence a new feud on WWE programming.
What are your thoughts on the incredible butterfly effect caused by WWE’s changed plans? Sound off in the comments!
