THE DREAM MATCH!

[Deleted]

We've heard for months and months, pretty much ever since Nakamura debuted on the main roster, how amazing this eventual encounter was going to be, how they were going to tear the house down and steal the show... It was fine.

I dunno, maybe they were holding back for the feud coming out of this (will say Nakamura instantly seemed more comfortable as a heel so there's definitely that), but for all the talk about what an amazing spectacle this was going to be it was basically just a random Raw match but with the commentators screaming about how incredible it was.

I pretty much was just waiting for them to pick up the pace and then it just ended.

[GuyOfOwnage]

I felt like it was a great match ruined by all the hype. It had a strong NJPW vibe to it.

[El Cokehead del Knife Fight]

It felt like a NJPW match but it ended just as it would kick into gear in New Japan.

[Facetious]

It was kind of a let down compared to their New Japan match, but still a solid match. Easily a 3.5.

[MGH]

It was a perfectly fine wrestling match. It also never, ever got out of 1st gear. I'm not entirely surprised though. Nakamura, while I like him, has had one match since he got to WWE that I thought was great. He's always good, but people have a way higher opinion of him than I do.

AJ does better with the Cenas and Brocks of the world.

[mo]

I thought it was a good match. Not an all-time classic or anything but I enjoyed it.

[brettappedout (BLM)]

I was fine with the slow pace, but just when it started to pick up, it ended. Very disappointing.

I also truly believe that if it had opened the show and had the proper time it would've most likely lived up to the hype.

[Zach]

It was a dream match in the sense that it was so boring it made me fall asleep and have a dream about a better match

[BorneAgain]

You know its a surreal night when you can reasonably say Miz was in a better match than Nakamura and Styles.

[Gerard Gerard]

Liked how the protected the Kinshasa, but yeah, it was more doing donuts in the lot than hitting the freeway. Post-match kinda irks me as I saw no immediate need for it, but if that's their way of getting to a rematch, then so be it.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Getting Heel Nakamura is worth it.

[HMARK Center]

Apr 8, 2018 23:20:09 GMT -5 El Cokehead del Knife Fight said:

It felt like a NJPW match but it ended just as it would kick into gear in New Japan.

Yeah, that strike exchange felt like they were about to click to the next level, but then it was over kind of quickly.

Thumbs down to Kevin Dunn, by the by (I know, that NEVER happens around here, right?), for not knowing how to film pro wrestling strikes and make them come off as impactful. The camera felt too removed and distant from the action on a lot of the kicks and forearms, it dampened their impact and effect.

Still, a good match, but one that didn't get to that next level that could've made it transcendent.

[Super Duper Dragunov]

Apr 8, 2018 23:21:37 GMT -5 Zach said:

It was a dream match in the sense that it was so boring it made me fall asleep and have a dream about a better match

Then I guess the US Title match was a dream match for me then.

[The Legend of Groose]

It was still a really good match, but it was not the Mania show stealer it promised to be. I think that's the sad thing about the match, it could have been so much better.

[The Kevstaaa]

Apr 8, 2018 23:20:09 GMT -5 El Cokehead del Knife Fight said:

It felt like a NJPW match but it ended just as it would kick into gear in New Japan.

This is the PERFECT explanation for the match.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2018 23:22:52 GMT -5 BorneAgain said:

You know its a surreal night when you can reasonably say Miz was in a better match than Nakamura and Styles.

Hell, Stephanie was in a better match than Nakamura and Styles.

[Sparkybob]

Match was fine. I think the match should have been better though. Don't think this was a case of those two holding back for future matches.

[Lancers]

The feud is continuing after tonight. That gives me hope that maybe their next match will be the main event (don't think we'll see Brock at Backlash) and it'll be given more room to breathe unlike tonight that felt like it never got into a second gear.

[Juice]

Did not live up to njpw and had sameish time. Found a story after the damn match.

[Deleted]

I never let all of the hype get to me, I figured it was overhyped from the jump and given Nakamura's body, how they structure WM matches and given how they do things I figured it wouldn't be a classic. The damn company kept saying it was a classic all through this feud and that made things worse. I figured it would be really good but that's about it and overall seeing it disappointed me. I'd give the match a B rating. From now on though I'm not gonna keep hoping for Nakamura to put on classics because I haven't been impressed with him at all in a single's match since the Zayn match, like this Styles match proved it. It was just the main event of a B level ppv. Either way I'm not gonna let it get me down.

I will say I'm looking forward to him as a heel so we'll see how that goes. I'm not looking forward to him for his wrestling anymore, only character and match build and that's good enough for me. If he puts a passable match I'm cool. We'll see where this goes because their interactions could be interesting. Heel Nakamura reminds me of a crazy Goro Majima while face Nakamura reminds me of standard Majima.

Styles needs to lose that belt though. Idk who will beat him for it but he needs to have it snatched up.