© Joe Camporeale/Imagn
These days, the line between what’s real and fake in pro wrestling is as clear as ever, and the WWE is leaning into that fact with their Netflix series WWE Unreal, which gives fans a peak behind the curtain at how things really work.
However, in order for wrestling to work, there needs to be some element of doubt to what you’re seeing, otherwise you can just go watch a movie.
It’s why WWE star Seth Rollins’ knee “injury” last year worked so well when he returned just weeks later, only to reveal that he was never actually injured at all.
Unfortunately for the company, one of its biggest angles going may have been spoiled after an overeager wrestler took to Instagram to said a bit more than they should have.
Shinsuke Nakamura Ruins Royal Rumble With AJ Styles Instagram Post
Outside of WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble is WWE’s biggest show of the year.
This year’s event, which is set for January 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will not only feature the traditional battle royal to see who main events WrestleMania, but it will also feature a match between stars Gunther and AJ Styles in which the 48-year-old Styles puts his career on the line.
On a recent episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Styles faced off against Shinsuke Nakamura, with whom he has a longstanding on-screen rivalry with, dating back to their time together in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Styles won the match, and the two embraced in the ring afterward, shaking hands and bowing to one another. However, after the show was over, Nakamura took to Instagram and divulged information that he probably shouldn’t have.
Shinsuke Nakamura on Instagram
In a post titled “The diary I wrote the day before,” Nakamura said that Styles was retiring at the Royal Rumble and that he wanted the chance to square off with him one more time.
According to Nakamura, he asked Styles during a recent WWE tour of Japan when he planned to retire.
“The Royal Rumble. I’ve already decided,” Styles replied, according to the post.
“Even though we don’t actually know each other as deeply as people might think, to me, he’s special,” Nakamura’s post continued. “Almost like a brother, and a best friend, in my own way.”
Look, it’s entirely possible Nakamura is in on the act, and this is all just building more confusion. If so, it’s a masterstroke from him and the WWE.
But he quickly deleted the Instagram story. So he may well have just taken all the suspense out of the biggest singles match on the second-biggest card of the year.