Now that AJ Styles has won the WWE World Title, what will the blue brand do with its new champion? It’s a fair question, seeing that Smackdown Live is not a top-heavy in roster talent as its new nemesis, Monday Night Raw. Styles may have won the strap, but booking him in matches is now limited based on the current state of the roster.
I wonder (out loud) if Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan and the creative team are having a huddle right about now, trying to figure out what to do?
This is one instance where brand split and new identities could sink the new face that runs the place before he can fly off the top rope again at Clash of Champions and the remaining pay-per-view events on the 2016 calendar.
There is another way to look at the booking issue as well. This one is from a momentum standpoint. Is the former IWGP and TNA Champion better as a title holder, or does his work chasing glory become the best he can do?
For some reason I cannot figure out. I feel like Styles is now on an island with no hope of finding his way back to the mainland.
I’m sure this will all work out in the end, but for now, there is a bit of uneasiness about booking Styles. The world-class talent must have world-class opponents. If Styles is to become one of the best, he must face the best.
Somewhere in there, I can hear Ric Flair screaming… “To be the man, you have to beat the man.” Putting the belt on Styles now was a huge gamble for WWE, especially with a weak Smackdown Live roster.
If it works, the creative team and management look genius. If it fails, they will have some explaining to do.
Here are five opponents who could make things a bit difficult for Styles moving forward.
Dean Ambrose
He is the obvious choice and will be given a shot to win back his title. I would love to see two more matches from this feud – because they work well together in the ring, it’s fresh and it gives time to build up a return by John Cena.
The only issue I see with this is would WWE put Styles over on three occasions? Wouldn’t that hurt Ambrose and his credibility as a former champion? I say it goes one more match and Styles moves on.
The Miz
This would make sense in terms of the pecking order of champions. If WWE is hell bent on making this a new era, then have this become a title vs. title feud or heel vs. heel type of confrontation. The Miz is doing his best work in the ring and on the mic with Maryse by his side.
How will Styles handle a two-headed monster and how will the fans handle supporting Styles for this program and then watch him as the evil villain once again? It’s a solid match if the company decides to make it happen.
Dolph Ziggler
There is really nowhere for Ziggler to go in this promotion right now. Caught up in a feud with The Miz, I cannot see WWE taking the Intercontinental Title off the current champion, but at the same time, Ziggler continues to lose big-time matches.
Ziggler cannot continue to “job” for the stars and still remain in the main event. That’s how he got lost in the shuffle before the brand split. If Ziggler does win the Intercontinental Title, he immediately challenges Styles for the title and possibly a match at TLC.
But this one is a hard sell.
Bray Wyatt
This is a case of what will ever become of Wyatt, who at some point should challenge for a company strap. It would be an outstanding match, but it might leave us all wondering a bit since Styles is not as gifted in promo work.
Does WWE finally do what it should have done a while ago and turn the Eater of Worlds into a babyface? If he is the new form of Undertaker, then at some point that must happen. Fans would love to see Wyatt win the company title, but they may not want him to beat Styles to make that happen.
John Cena
The other obvious choice. Like I said the other day, the person most excited about Styles winning gold is Cena – who can now set his sights on his 16th world title. The nostalgia associated with the armband in the center of the ring at SummerSlam sets up nicely for a resurgence of Cena, who could beat Styles for the belt and drop it one month later.
Cena’s career is certainly on the downslide, but since the roster is thin, he is still a major player in the main event picture. This will happen, if for nothing else, then to help Cena’s legend grow a bit more.
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