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Since debuting at the 2016 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles has become one of the cornerstones of WWE. The Atlanta native's meteoric rise in Vince McMahon's company has baffled many, including us, who never thought that we would see the former TNA Standout in WWE in the first place.
But, only did The Phenomenal One gain the trust and confidence of Vince McMahon & Co., he has also proven why he is one of the best in-ring performers in the world by putting on great matches every single week.
Even at 42 years of age, Styles is showing no signs of slowing down and has shown that he can go toe-to-toe with the young guns of the company. Styles won the WWE Championship, a mere eight months after debuting in the company, at Backlash 2016. The former WWE Champion also holds the record for being the longest-reigning world champion in SmackDown history.
Styles won the US Championship from Ricochet at Extreme Rules in July. He has since successfully defended the championship against the likes of Ricochet, Cedric Alexander and Humberto Carillo.
Here are five potential opponents for Styles and the United States Championship:
#5 Andrade
Widely regarded by many to be the next big thing, Andrade hasn't had a moment to make a mark since debuting on the main roster in 2018. The former La Sombra has firmly established as one of the best in-ring performers on the current roster. His feud against Rey Mysterio has given us some of the best TV matches of the past year and a half.
Apart from his feud against Mysterio, the former NXT Championship hasn't done anything substantial or noteworthy. He has been given stop-start pushes which have led to absolutely nothing. Andrade was one of the favourites to win the 2019 King of The Ring tournament but failed to make it past the second round as he lost to Chad Gable AKA Shorty G. The Mexican Superstar was drafted to RAW along with his business manager, Zelina Vega during the 2019 Draft as a round one pick.
While a heel vs heel feud might not seem interesting on the paper, we believe that Andrade and Styles could make it work. Andrade is in dire need of a credible opponent who would rise his stock to the next level. Styles and Andrade are two of the best in the business at the moment and the matches between the duo would be nothing but pure fire.
#4 Seth Rollins
Rollins has had a very interesting 2019. The Kingslayer started the year by winning the Men's Royal Rumble and would go on to conquer the beast, Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35. Rollins hasn't been the most popular on the roster for quite some time now. The Architect's social media outburst coupled with the lack of creative direction have led to fans souring on the man. Despite being a Babyface, Rollins has been getting booed by the fans.
Many are excepting Rollins to turn heel shortly. While we have seen a few flashes of The Architect's turn to the dark side during his feud against The Fiend Bray Wyatt, he is yet to fully turn heel as of this writing.
Rollins and Styles have already had a MOTY contender with their Universal Championship match at Money In The Bank. Unlike most of the other opponents on the list, the feud between Styles and Rollins would have to be a slow burn, something which is built over the next few months and culminate in a match between the two at WrestleMania 36. This feud, if done properly, has the potential to be one of the best in recent memory.
#3 Buddy Murphy
One of the brightest upstarts in the company, Buddy Murphy has made the most of every opportunity he has been given. The former Cruiserweight Champion was drafted to RAW during the draft and has remained undefeated on the Red Brand. Murphy is reportedly one of the pet-projects of RAW executive director, Paul Heyman, which could only mean bigger and better things for the Melbourne native.
Murphy has already proven that he can hang with some of the best that the company has to offer. During his time on Smackdown, the former NXT Tag Team Champion put on great matches against the likes of Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan and Ali.
Fans have been wanting to see Murphy in a bigger role and a feud against Styles might just be the shot in the arm that the Australian needs. A veteran like Styles will not only bring out the very best in Murphy but a win/great showing against The Phenomenal One will firmly establish him as one of the top guys on the Red Brand.
#2 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens and AJ Styles are no strangers to one another. Interestingly, the duo feuded extensively over the United States Championship in 2017 and had a series of matches for the title. But, now with Owens being a babyface and Styles as a heel, it will be interesting to see how the shift the character is being played out if the duo's paths were to cross soon.
Owens has fired the first shot as he helped the Street Profits even the odds during her RAW debut against The OC. Owens has openly declared his dislike for the Phenomenal One which could that a feud between the duo is going to place sooner rather than later. Following her rather disappointing feud in 2017, both Owens and Styles would love to prove a point and live up to the fan's expectations. Both men are scheduled to fight at WWE's upcoming Live Event in Mexico.
Owens and Styles are two of the most recognized faces on Monday nights and them going against one another would most pique fan interest. We haven't seen or heard much of Owens since his match against Shane McMahon. This will be the perfect opportunity for Owens to re-establish himself as the top guy on Monday nights.
#1 Aleister Black
One of the most unique characters on the WWE roster, Aleister Black has all the making of being the next big thing. The Dutchman was one of the dominant Superstars in NXT where he captured the NXT Championship and won the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic alongside Ricochet.
Black was drafted to RAW during the 2019 WWE Draft. RAW Executive Director, Paul Heyman is reportedly very high on the Dutch Destroyer and someone who he wants to build the Red Brand around.
Black has been squashing talent for the past few weeks and we believe that it is only a matter of time before he is put in a high profile feud. It is quite obvious that the company sees a lot of potential in Black and having him feud against Styles for the US Title might just be the first step in the evolution of Black as a main-event star.
Black vs Styles will be a dream match for a large part of the WWE Universe. It will be an interesting clash of styles.
It will be quite a sight to see Styles' high-octane offense being countered by Black's array of kicks. Both Black and Styles have lethal submission moves in their arsenal. This has all the makings of an all-time classic feud.
