Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Shinsuke Nakamura, Matt Hardy and a 2018 Wish List

1. Will The Real King of Strong Style Stand Up?

Shinsuke Nakamura didn't set WWE SmackDown ablaze in his first year. He didn't look as captivating as he has at his peak. He didn't dig as deeply into the audience's chest as he has in the past. 

It was not a lack of talent that saw Nakamura's rookie run on the main roster underwhelm. Fans who have seen his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and NXT know the Nakamura who strutted around the blue brand in 2017 wasn't the full-fledged version of The King of Strong Style.

So what happened?

The answer has multiple levels. Nakamura's feud with Jinder Mahal is to blame, for one. The two Superstars didn't have any chemistry to speak of between them. Their matches fell victim to repetitive booking that saw The Singh Brothers distract and The Maharaja pounce.

But the writing was the worst element of it all. Nakamura actually said the grade school phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" in the context of wrestling promo. That's a fireable offense for whoever approved that line.

Mahal mocking Nakamura's facial expressions and ethnicity wavered from boring to uncomfortable.

And WWE didn't ever seem to get a handle on who Nakamura is. It presented him as a goofy, grinning peacock more than a head-kicking warrior. His showmanship has to be highlighted, but the ratio of fun and fierce was all wrong with him.

Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross was spot-on when he spoke about Nakamura on The Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. "It's bell to bell, we are lacking what we know is there, we are not getting," Ross said. "I would love to see him return to that."

That should be one of WWE's top goals in 2018.

It has a unique and electric star in Nakamura. Righting the ship with him would bolster SmackDown and give the New Era a centerpiece to build around.

One step in that process will be to ask Nakamura to speak less. Promos aren't his strength. Let him hit his foes with just a phrase or two at a time. As Fightful pointed out, the former NXT champ's brief speech on Tuesday's SmackDown was of the appropriate length: 

"

Limit Nakamura's promos just like that and that would be perfect. #SDLive

— Fightful Wrestling (@FightfulWrestle) December 27, 2017"

In the ring, it feels like Nakamura is holding back. WWE has to either take the leash off him and let him knock folks around or push The King of Strong Style to rediscover his old self.

And rather than sink him with stories centered around his nationality, a simple title chase is the way to present him. Have him take down foe after foe as he draws closer to a date with WWE champion AJ Styles. 

Nakamura should still do his trademark antics, but we need to see more evidence that he's an ass-kicker. 

For much of 2017, we got Diet Nakamura. The undiluted version emerging in 2018 would be huge.

2. Make the Most of the Streaks

Asuka is unstoppable. Curt Hawkins may have forgotten what victory feels like at this point. While Asuka remains undefeated, Hawkins is getting closer to losing 200 matches in a row.

The Empress of Tomorrow held the NXT women's title for 523 days, as seen on WWE.com. She is now 25-0 since joining the main roster, per CageMatch.net, after never suffering a pinfall or submission at NXT. 

Hawkins, meanwhile, is making the Cleveland Browns look good by comparison.

The more WWE spotlights both stories, the better. Asuka's star will rise the longer she remains untouchable. Heading into WrestleMania with a zero in her loss column would be smart business. The moment she loses has to be made huge, a gutting defeat on a grand stage.

Charlotte Flair's pay-per-view streak had an unmemorable ending. WWE can't make the same mistake with Asuka.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Kairi Sane

One of the bullet points for the 2018 NXT plan needs to read "lots and lots of Kairi Sane."

The Mae Young Classic finalist will be a star for NXT and the main roster as she was for Japan's World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion. Thunderous strikes, graceful flights and a magnetic presence add up to one awesome performer.

For a look back at some of her pre-WWE work, check out the former Kairi Hojo take on Io Shirai at the Stardom 5Star Grand Prix 2016:

That's the kind of action that needs to dominate the NXT main event scene in the coming months. Sane battling her way up the ladder to get a crack at Ember Moon and the women's title is a tale brimming with potential.

4. Slow Down on the Call-Ups

As much as fresh faces are necessary for WWE, the company would be smart to introduce fewer of them in 2018. 

The main roster welcomed a long list of names from NXT and hasn't found space for all of them. Tye Dillinger has been absent for weeks at a time. Bobby Roode went from NXT champ to also-ran midcarder with not enough of a story.

Raw and SmackDown added Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Ruby Riott and Asuka to its respective women's division. WWE would be better off developing those talents before adding to the mix.

Quality over quantity is a cliche that the company would be best to heed.

5. Woken and Weird

Late in the year, Matt Hardy finally morphed into the unhinged character he played at Impact Wrestling. Rather than being "broken," though, he became "woken." And now we're in the process of seeing how WWE handles this unusual persona.

All out is the only way to go with this.

WWE needs to give fans more sightings of Napoleon the fish. Hardy's new self needs to battle on giant chessboards, ride go-karts around the Wyatt Family compound, enlist the help of drones and introduce new sidekicks. Anything short of pedal-to-the-floor weirdness will be a disappointment. 

6. A Rebirth Rolls On

The National Wrestling Alliance is in the midst of a transformation. Since Billy Corgan re-launched the historic promotion in October, a buzz has begun to surround it. And that's not some fleeting hype based around Corgan's celebrity, either.

Through shrewd marketing and slick presentation, the NWA is making noise again.

The 10 Pounds of Gold video series on YouTube has been top-notch. The videos have showcased stars like Tim Storm and Magnus, spotlighting their motivations and giving them space to tell their stories.

NWA has leaned on its legacy and built its brand around the world's title. And it's working. 

Hopefully, 2018 sees more of the same. Where the resurrected company heads next in its evolution will be one of the more intriguing stories of the year.

7. Cinderella Not Benchwarmer

Tye Dillinger should be hungrily chasing the United States Championship, growing obsessed with that title, coming within milliseconds of the three-count that will make him a champion. He's a popular underdog with a fun gimmick. He shouldn't be sitting off-camera to the point one forgets he's part of the show.

The 2018 plan for The Perfect 10 can't feature as much inactivity as this year did.

Per CageMatch.net, Dillinger went 11 weeks without a televised match after Hell in a Cell in October. He beat Aiden English on May 2 and then didn't get back in the ring on SmackDown until July 4. He didn't compete at SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank or Clash of Champions.

SmackDown's airtime is limited, but that's not acceptable.

Dillinger is a new asset the blue brand must make more use of. He has at least one compelling Cinderella story in him. And his real-life story, one where he toiled in the developmental system for years, is the perfect fit for SmackDown's "land of opportunity" theme.

8. More Tag Team Bouts Like These

Tag team wrestling flourished in WWE this year.

The Usos vs. The New Day was one of the best rivalries of 2017. Sheamus and Cesaro were bedrocks for Raw. The Shield's reunion, The Authors of Pain's rise and The Usos' continued growth elevated the product.

Here's hoping all that success continues and we see more tag team thrillers like these in 2018:

• The Authors of Pain vs. The Revival vs. #DIY: TakeOver Orlando
• The Authors of Pain vs. #DIY: TakeOver Chicago
• The Bar vs. The Shield: SummerSlam
• The New Day vs. The Usos: SmackDown, Sept. 12
• The New Day vs. The Usos: Hell in a Cell

Things are set up for tag wrestling to keep delivering.

The Revival is on Raw, and both Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder are healthy again. Heavy Machinery is going to be a force at NXT. And SmackDown's tag team division has restocked itself quite nicely.

9. Better Writing for the Women

Too often in 2017 it felt like WWE's writing team patched together the women's division's narratives at the last minute.

Both Raw and SmackDown saw lots of tag matches of little consequence and multi-wrestler bouts. Rather than focus on a few rivals' issues with each other, the company tossed the bulk of the division into the same pot and opted for a booking stew.

We didn't get to see enough of Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss' tenuous partnership. Women like Becky Lynch got lost in the shuffle. And introducing two mirror factions and storylines on the two brands reeked of laziness. 

WWE didn't do nearly enough to distinguish The Riott Squad from Absolution. Riott's crew, in particular, need their characters fleshed out in a big way. The writers need to give them more backstage promos, a mission statement, something. They would be wise to borrow from The Shield's playbook and don matching gear, too.

The women's division broke more ground in 2017 and will continue to do so in the coming year, but in addition to the trail-blazing opportunities coming its way, the portion of the WWE roster needs improved storytelling to work with.

10. New Cases in the New Year

Breezango's regular trips into its own absurd, entertaining corner of the WWE world were the highlight of many a SmackDown. Tyler Breeze and Fandango found their niche as parody masters with reliably funny Fashion Files backstage segments. 

Breeze now has his mind on future foes:

SmackDown has to showcase him and Fandango both in the ring and with more editions of Fashion Files. Breezango was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2017, and building on that is a no-brainer.

Let's see more zaniness, more creativity and more of a duo who organically got over with the crowd.

Ryan Dilbert is a WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ryandilbert.