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AJ Styles is enjoying a great time in his career. The former Mr.TNA carried Impact Wrestling on his shoulders for over a decade and ever since he made his debut at the Royal Rumble 2016, he is on a roll. Few would have expected him to make his mark in WWE, even the man himself never believed he would fit the WWE mould.
AJ has wrestled in the previous three Wrestlemanias, his first being against 'Y2J' Chris Jericho and his second being an unsanctioned match against Shane Mcmahon. The WWE Championship 'Dream Match' against Shinsuke Nakamura was honestly very underwhelming, considering the fact that AJ and Shinsuke have already battled a 5-star classic in NJPW.
None the less, we can expect Styles to captivate us with his performances and here are five opponents that would be perfect for the 'Phenomenal One' for the greatest show of shows.
#5. Daniel Bryan vs Samoa Joe(C) vs AJ Styles
Imagine this match-up. With the possibility of Samoa Joe winning the WWE Championship and the No.1 Contender's match between The Miz and Daniel Bryan at the Super Show Down coming up, this match is highly possible. Daniel Bryan has lost his last two matches against The Miz.
It would be logical to let Bryan win the No.1 Contender-ship and face Samoa Joe in the coming months. Styles can take a break from the title picture for the time being, letting the dynamics between The Miz, Bryan and Samoa Joe settle. AJ can either win the Royal Rumble (which is very unlikely) or an Elimination Chamber match before Wrestlemania to insert himself into the Title match.
This would be a mouth-watering contest between the best veterans of the business. Regardless of which man wins the match, the audience can expect one hell of a spectacle.
#4. AJ Styles vs Shawn Michaels
If AJ is not competing as the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania, he shouldn't be settling for any less than a marquee match. And this is 'The Marquee Match' we're talking about. Paul Heyman has praised AJ styles a lot, comparing him to the likes to Ric Flair, Jimmy Snuka, but more fondly, to Shawn Michaels. This is the ultimate fantasy match fans would love to pay their money for.
Shawn Michaels is likely going to make a wrestling return at some point in the near future (rumoured to be in Survivor Series), so it's quite obvious he would love a spot in the Wrestlemania card. With AJ Styles also commenting about ending his career in a few years, this is one match that should take place sooner than later, that too on a stage like Wrestlemania.
#3. AJ Styles(C) vs Adam Cole
What if Undisputed Era makes their debut on Smackdown Live? More specifically, what if Adam Cole makes a main roster debut which is exactly similar to his NXT debut? Remember when he superkicked the then NXT Champion Drew McIntyre to introduce himself to the WWE?
Imagine AJ Styles winning a hard-fought match at the Royal Rumble and outta nowhere... SHOCK THE SYSTEM!! Kyle O' Riley, Bobby Fish make their entrance. Styles looks at them, all confused. He turns back and BOOM! SUPERKICK! ADAM COLE BAY! BAY!. The crowd would go crazy.
Adam Cole is one of those superstars that fits the WWE product. He's got the look, the charisma and is magnificent between the ropes. It would be apt to give him an instant feud with the WWE Champion, which would cement his place as an elite in the roster. Both these former Bullet Club members can have a great feud (one involving The Good Brothers vs Undisputed Era) and then a Wrestlemania singles match for the Championship. This entire scenario is an awesome booking idea creating a bonafide main-event superstar in the process, regardless of the outcome of the match.
#2. AJ Styles vs Tomasso Ciampa
'Blackheart' Tommaso Ciampa has been a revelation in NXT. His feud with Johnny Gargano has made him the most despised heel in all of WWE. No one can match the heel-antics that he pulls off, extending further even in his twitter handle. Whether in kayfabe or outside the ring, the man is truly evil. His character work has been so brilliant, he's been awarded the NXT Championship, which even the likes of Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Velveteen Dream, EC3 and Ricochet haven't managed to get their hands on in the same period.
This match would be a true heel vs face setup, as the reactions he receives are magnanimous. AJ Styles as a babyface would be a perfect suit for this matchup and a WrestleMania match (and a win for Ciampa) would create a buzz for him in the entire roster. While it would have been better for this match to be for the WWE Championship, in my opinion, a non-title feud wouldn't hurt AJ's image, but would certainly put Ciampa on a pedestal.
#1. AJ Styles(C) vs Seth Rollins
Let's face it. This is the match everyone wants to see. It had been rumoured that Seth would be drafted to Tuesday night's show this year, but that didn't happen. AJ Styles has fought alongside 'The Architect', but never against. We all have to admit, with the kind of performances both these athletes have put up over the last year, this match would be the pinnacle.
But they are on different brands, making this entry as the biggest fantasy booking on this list. The only way it can happen is that Rollins goes on to win the Royal Rumble 2019, and he opts to fight AJ for the WWE championship. With Roman Reigns rumoured to face The Rock, ideally, for the Universal Championship, Rollins vs Styles isn't a very far-fetched idea on paper.
Whether this match can happen is all up for speculation. The bare thought of these two workhorses creating magic in the ring would bring chills down everyone's spine. This wouldn't just be the match of the night, it may even be an instant classic.
