AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Should Close out WrestleMania 34

WrestleMania 34 is nearly here and WWE has truly stacked the deck full of high profile matches. 13 bouts have been officially announced on WWE.com and there could be one more to come, if The Undertaker faces off against John Cena.

Some fans believe that match should be the main event, while others believe it shouldn’t happen at all. But amidst all of the hoopla and hype surrounding The Show of Shows, many feel only one match deserves to go last on April 8. That match is AJ Styles versus Shinsuke Nakamura.

Of all the showdowns that will take place this year, this is the one that has the potential to leave more of a lasting impression. Both Styles and Nakamura have worked their entire careers to reach this point and each man knows that this kind of opportunity may only come around once in a lifetime.

Working the main event of WrestleMania is a dream that so many pro wrestlers have, yet very few get to actually do it. It’s the most coveted spot in the industry and it’s one that a talent must strive to attain. It’s often said that if a guy doesn’t want to be the top champion, then he shouldn’t waste his time getting in the business. The same is true of the main event spot on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Who deserves that spot more than Styles and Nakamura? They are in the upper echelon of WWE and either of them could perhaps be the best. Styles in particular has morphed into a WWE powerhouse though it seemed the company would never take a chance on him.

Fans believed that the company would change him. If AJ did come in and join WWE, he would have to become someone else. He was too small. He was too southern. WWE would mock him, belittle him and eventually, discredit him.

WWE was always the land of the giants. It was also a place where guys couldn’t get ahead unless Vince McMahon created them. Styles did not meet that criteria. He was respected around the world but that would not be enough for WWE. But that was not the case.

Styles came in and the company fully embraced him for the star that he is. He was allowed to be himself and he flourished. The WWE faithful knew him and fully supported him. He wasn’t loud and he wasn’t flashy but he didn’t need to be.

Styles did his talking between the ropes. He delivered maximum effort every time out and he always made the card better because of his work. More importantly, he always made his opponents look good. AJ Styles is the epitome of what professional wrestling is all about and he may just be the best in the world.

Nakamura’s transition to WWE was perhaps not so smooth. The King of Strong Style’s booking was extremely weak in the beginning, as the company seemed intent on reshaping him to fit their image. He was entertaining but he wasn’t the killer that New Japan fans knew him to be. Something was off.

But after months of working within the system and acclimating to the WWE machine, Nakamura finally made some forward progress. When he tossed Roman Reigns over the top rope to win the 2018 Royal Rumble, fans knew that Shinsuke was indeed on his way to the top. Now that he’s here, he deserves the right to close out the night.

Some could argue the point of course. After all this match was the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016; why would Vince McMahon want to recycle another company’s match as his main event for WrestleMania? Reigns and Brock Lesnar are facing off for the WWE Universal Championship. What better match to end the night with?

But the fact is that despite how much the company supports Reigns, the truth is that his match will end with a chorus of boos from the massive crowd when he wins. WWE may choose to believe that Reigns is in the right spot and that all is well with his babyface run. However the fans know differently and they will make their voices heard when the final bell rings on after his victory. Is that the way WrestleMania 34 should end?

McMahon likes to believe that WWE can simply just do it better. So why not give the fans what they want and close the night with what will surely be an amazing pro wrestling match? The audience will be exhausted after nearly seven straight hours. But if they get Styles versus Nakamura in the last match, they will be energized. WrestleMania will end on a high note and unlike Reigns versus Lesnar, it will not make a difference who wins.

Styles versus Nakamura is about the action, not the end. If AJ goes over, then he goes back to SmackDown Live as the top guy on Tuesday nights and possibly the strongest champion in the company. If Nakamura wins, he solidifies himself as a top player and a whole new world opens up to him. There’s no downside to this match. It is an instant classic. Can fans really say that of Reigns versus Lesnar?

AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura have earned this. They are two of the best in the business and they will be competing for the company’s top championship. That is what WWE is all about. The fans want it. Both guys deserve it. Now it’s up to WWE to make the right decision.