Cross-Brand matches are always exciting. Whether it was Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 21, or most recently, Randy Orton vs Brock Lesnar at Summerslam, the prospect of a cross-brand feud has always been appealing. Have the two superstars ever faced off before? How would the two interact cross-brand? Who would get the upper hand by invading the other wrestler’s show?
Sure, the ending to Lesnar vs Orton this year left a lot to be desired, but if done right, a cross-brand feud between the following superstars could be incredible. Here are 5 Cross-Brand WWE Matches we would love to see.
5. New Day vs American Alpha
Although Smackdown Live now has their own exclusive Tag Team Championships, the idea of a cross-brand rivalry between a heel New Day vs face American Alpha is tantalising. The two have never faced off in a WWE ring and their first encounter could be an incredibly hyped up bout.
Also, most cross-brand matches occur on one of the big four pay-per-views (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Survivor Series). So, the first-time bout would take place on a bigger stage than a regular pay-per-view. If the tag team titles are ever to be unified again, who wouldn’t want to see New Day vs American Alpha for the Unified Tag Titles at Wrestlemania?
A classic match between these two teams could revitalise the tag division. Making the bout a TLC or ladder match for the unified titles could cement it is as one of the best matches in WWE tag team history.
When I was reviewing both rosters, I saw a number of potential opponents for Balor on the Smackdown Live brand. Balor vs Cena, Balor vs Orton, Balor vs Ambrose, but none (except for one later on this list) was more appealing than Balor vs Wyatt. The Demon King vs The Eater of Worlds.
This would be another first time ever dream match, and would be fitting on any of the big four pay-per-views. The hard-hitting style of Wyatt would work well with the technical prowess of Balor, and the bout could be the best of the night no matter what pay-per-view it is on.
Once their singles feud had run its course, Wyatt could call in Luke Harper and Erick Rowan to help, while Balor could form the Balor Club with Gallows and Anderson. An all-out war between these two factions would bring back memories of the Wyatts vs the Shield, and if they were to have a number of high-profile matches, they could even eclipse the Shield vs Wyatts rivalry..
Either way, whether it is Wyatt vs Balor or The Wyatts vs Balor Club, this cross-brand feud would be incredible.
3. Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton
We have already seen Owens face a number of opponents in matches throughout his WWE tenure so far (Cena, Ambrose, Zayn, Miz, Ziggler, Cesaro, Styles), but one person he hasn’t faced is Randy Orton. The 12 Time World Champion and the current Universal Champion have only faced off once on Raw, last July in a match that ended in a DQ.
Just as we are seeing Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton, this is a fresh rivalry that has the potential to be great. It is arguably fresher than Orton vs Wyatt as Orton and Owens have barely interacted since Owens has been on the main roster. With a well-crafted storyline, The Prizefighter vs The Viper could be a wonderful cross-brand rivalry. Adding a personal element to the story could make this one of the most volatile rivalries in recent years, with both men having that edge of danger in their character, leading to some awesome invasions of the other’s show.
The brawls ensued between the two would lead to chaos on both Raw and Smackdown, and the right build could lead to a brilliant match like Cena vs Owens at Elimination Chamber in 2015.
2. AJ Styles vs Finn Balor
Ever since Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson debuted in WWE, fans knew it was only a matter of time until they either joined Styles or Balor in a WWE version of the Bullet Club. This occurred when Styles began to feud with Roman Reigns and The Usos (The Bloodline) and needed some backup. Renamed “The Club”, Gallows, Anderson and Styles went after The Bloodline until Seth Rollins returned and reignited his feud with Reigns at Extreme Rules.
On an episode of Raw weeks later, the Club decided to split. This fuelled rumours of Balor debuting and taking out Styles, but rumours began to die down once Styles re-joined the Club and turned heel on John Cena. All rumours were put to rest at Summerslam, when in a backstage segment, Balor decided to ignore the ‘too sweet’ gesture offered to him by Styles, Gallows, and Anderson.
Now that Balor is injured and Styles is riding solo on Smackdown Live, the only plausible time we could see this match would be at Wrestlemania 33. Ever since Styles replaced Balor as leader of the Bullet Club in NJPW, fans have been eager to see this bout, and if it were to take place at Wrestlemania 33, the anticipation and hype would be incredible.
With a well-built storyline in place that links back to the story set in NJPW, this could be a match for the ages. Imagine Styles reoccupies the position of leader in ‘The Club’, remaining a heel. Picture this: Balor returns with Gallows, Anderson and Balor attacking Styles. This would implement a double turn where Balor becomes the new heel leader and Styles turns into the revenge-seeking face. With that kind of build in place, this could be one of the best matches in recent WWE times.
1. Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles
When AJ Styles debuted in WWE, there were a number of wrestlers we wanted to see him face. So far, we have seen Cena, Jericho, Reigns, Owens and more, but one of the most anticipated matches WWE fans had been pining for is Styles vs Rollins. During the house shows that happened after Extreme Rules, fans were able to see Styles vs Rollins vs Reigns in a triple threat and it led to some incredible sequences between Rollins and Styles, including Rollins using the banned Vertebreaker on Styles in one bout.
This teased match-up has only increased the demands of the fans to see this rivalry happen, and with Rollins’ recent babyface turn, a heel Styles vs a babyface Rollins would be spectacular. Both men are two of the best wrestlers in the world today, and their similar in-ring repertoires would lead to some instant chemistry between the two. In their one match against each other in 2006 in a high school gym in Iowa on the independent scene, Styles got on the mic after the bout and said that Rollins (then known as Tyler Black) would be a superstar one day.
Now that both men are arguably two of the best superstars in the WWE right now, a match and a feud between these two would be marvellous. Any match between the two on pay-per-view will be an instant classic, and add a world title and a stage as Wrestlemania to the proceedings, and you’ve got yourself one of the best matches in Wrestlemania history. WWE, please book it.
Thank you for reading, if you enjoyed check out my other articles such as 7 current WWE wrestlers deserving of a world championship!
