Former champion to join Cody Rhodes against The Bloodline? - 4 directions for AJ Styles in WWE ahead of WrestleMania XL

WWE WrestleMania XL is on the horizon. The Show of Shows will take place at the beginning of April. But as we build up to WrestleMania 40, the WWE Universe is gearing up for another crucial premium live event.

That event is Elimination Chamber Perth, which will take place this Saturday. From there, all eyes will be on WrestleMania, and everything that goes down on the weekly television programs will likely revolve around The Showcase of the Immortals.

One superstar who doesn't yet have a clear path to The Grandest Stage Of Them All is AJ Styles. Many expected The Phenomenal One to be part of the Men's Elimination Chamber Match, but he failed to punch his ticket to Perth following a defeat to Drew McIntyre.

Now the big question is, what will AJ Styles do leading up to the biggest event of the year? This article will look at a handful of directions for the former World Champion ahead of WrestleMania.

Below are four directions for AJ Styles in WWE ahead of WrestleMania XL.

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#4. He could feud with LA Knight

LA Knight is the WWE success story nobody expected. Many had high hopes for The Megastar during his stint at NXT, but they evaporated when he debuted on the main roster as Max Dupri. Thankfully, Vince McMahon retired, and Triple H gave Knight a gimmick, which became massively popular.

The Megastar will have a big match soon, as he's one of six male athletes competing in the Men's Elimination Chamber Match. If Knight wins the Chamber match, he will have a golden chance of capturing the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XL.

But if Knight fails to win the Men's Elimination Chamber Match, he would need a path to WrestleMania. A feud between Styles and Knight could be the exact thing both men need. They've had tension ever since AJ returned to WWE last year. Knight recently poured water on The Phenomenal One, so a proper feud isn't unrealistic.

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#3. AJ Styles could join The O.C. on WWE NXT

WWE NXT fans experienced a shocker this week. Chase U's Duke Hudson and Andre Chase battled Axiom and Nathan Frazer in a tag team competition to earn the right to battle Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin for the NXT Tag Team Titles.

However, SmackDown's Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson showed up and took everyone by surprise. The Good Brothers laid everybody out and declared their intentions of winning the coveted NXT Tag Team Titles on the white & gold brand.

While Styles has had some animosity with his stablemates, they could patch up, and the former might show up on NXT. This could set up a dream match where Corbin and Breakker team up with their rival Ilja Dragunov to battle The O.C. It would make for an incredible fight.

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#2. He could form a new faction with underutilized stars

Cameron Grimes and Baron Corbin

The issues between the members of The O.C. seem to be due to AJ Styles. Ever since The Phenomenal One returned to WWE after an injury last year, he has had a more aggressive and dark attitude. This has led to him disrespecting his stablemates, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Michin.

While nothing is confirmed, there's a chance that The O.C. will be disbanded. At the very least, Styles may be gone from the group. If that is the case, then AJ may be looking to form a new faction, perhaps with some underutilized performers.

AJ Styles' new potential group could feature the likes of Cameron Grimes, Cedric Alexander, and Ashante "Thee" Adonis. All three men are criminally underutilized and could benefit from Styles' leadership.

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#1. AJ could join Cody Rhodes' fight against The Bloodline

Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns

The biggest story in all of WWE is the re-emergence of The Bloodline. Many felt the stable featuring Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso, and Paul Heyman was losing steam. However, The Rock's addition has revitalized the group.

The stable poses a threat to everyone in the promotion, which Seth Rollins recently made clear to Cody Rhodes. However, Cody has a chance to take the group's power away. If he dethrones Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL, The Bloodline may die.

But Cody can't do it alone, as Seth has emphasized. They will need a team to stop the dominant stable. Given AJ's animosity towards The Bloodline in the past, he could unite with Rhodes and Rollins at The Show of Shows.