5 Potential Finishes for AJ Styles vs. Nakamura at the Greatest Royal Rumble 

When the match was first announced it was billed as an NJPW dream rematch. Today, it's a lot more than merely a 'dream match'. Today, Styles vs. Nakamura is a personal contest between two men that detest each other. And somehow, this rematch just feels more interesting.

Nakamura's gone through an interesting shift in the character of course. Gone is the King of Strong Style for good; a sinister, sadistic man has come forth, who chooses to not answer difficult questions by saying - 'no speak English'.

The fact remains that these two men are perhaps the best workers in all of sports entertainment. That said, how will their match play out at the second grand event that WWE is putting together this month - The Greatest Royal Rumble?

Here are 5 potential finishes we can think of.

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#5 Shinsuke Nakamura wins clean

Could Nakamura defeat Styles in a singles match?

Why is this the least likely possibility on this list, you ask? In our estimation, this is because gone is the ethical, competitive, nice-guy Nakamura who cared about winning matches on his own merit. Nakamura is no longer the fun-loving rockstar of yore. He's someone who won't refrain from taking the low road these days.

That said, he's always been one of the more strongly booked Superstars on the roster that wins more matches than he actually loses. Maybe there's an off chance that he could defeat AJ Styles in a clean contest. Maybe we do see the return of the 'Knee to Face' era.

All said and done, after the current build, we doubt that the match will go down this way. The other four explanations are far more likely to occur.

#4 Nakamura gets himself disqualified, AJ Styles retains

This may be more like the Nakamura we know

The low blow that Nakamura employs is a symbolic move. It is an insignia of just how far he's fallen from being the competitor we used to love and respect, once upon a time (in kayfabe, of course).

It's a sign of how much he's changed as a character, going from white meat babyface to full-fledged heel. And that has made him a lot more interesting as a Superstar.

While the mind games were a part of his arsenal once, they're his primary mode of offense now. Maybe Nakamura wants to save himself for a future encounter, for a different stage. Maybe that's why he takes the low road and hits the low blow on Styles during their contest.

The rationale for this move in storyline may be to not just ensure a transfer of the WWE Championship, but to break down AJ Styles down as a competitor. Gold may not be the only thing that Nakamura has on his mind.

#3 Big Cass helps Nakamura win

Nakamura may have just found himself a big ally

Yes, technically Nakamura and Cass did not really form an alliance this week on SmackDown Live. Nakamura took out Styles while Cass took Daniel Bryan out. Somehow, we can imagine the two of them teaming up for a tag team match as soon as next week.

And this makeshift heel alliance could bring about a reign of terror on SmackDown Live.

At the Greatest Royal Rumble, Cass could be the X-Factor who helps tip the balance in Nakamura's favour. And we may have ourselves a brand new WWE Champion in Shinsuke Nakamura.

#2 Nakamura uses a low blow to become Champion

All the low blows could be leading up to a massive title change

Nakamura's moment could very well transpire at the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Only, this wouldn't be the valiant win everyone wanted to see with the Kinshasa. Instead, this would be the despicable victory, with a low blow.

When the referee is distracted or has been knocked down (you know knocking down a WWE referee is not very difficult), Nakamura could land a low blow on Styles. This would allow him to pick up a victory. Maybe after a 'Knee to Face'.

Nakamura would definitely make for a very interesting Champion, going forward. This title switch could stretch the program across all the summer months.

#1 AJ Styles retains his WWE Championship

WWE may not want babyfaces to lose before an international audience

Unlike in the United States, WWE fans internationally are far more rooted in kayfabe. They want their good guys to win and bad guys to lose. Why deprive WWE fans in Saudi Arabia of such an opportunity? We have a feeling that AJ Styles may just walk out with his prized title.

This is not to say that Nakamura may never have his moment. It's far more likely that he will win his championship before an American audience. An audience that would be far more receptive to Nakamura's new character arc.

And that brings us to the end of this countdown. How do you think this match will possibly play out?

Let us know in the comments below.

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