5 Reasons why AJ Styles became United States Champion again at WWE Extreme Rules 2019

At WWE Extreme Rules 2019, Ricochet's United States Championship reign proved to be short-lived, as AJ Styles went 2-1 in their series and picked up his third United States Championship. It was the first time he won the title in two years and he joined the list of superstars such as Kofi Kingston, Booker T, Rusev and Kevin Owens as 3-time United States Champions.

As mentioned, he went 2-1 with Ricochet. He defeated him clean on RAW in a non-title match but then lost the title match he earned the following week, after which he turned on Ricochet and turned heel in the process.

This was always going to be a pivotal match for not only Styles, but particularly Ricochet. Obviously, the reaction to Styles becoming champion isn't exactly negative. No matter how much of a heel he is, a championship always looks good around his waist and this is no exception to that.

Here are a few reasons why AJ Styles became United States Champion at WWE Extreme Rules 2019.

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#5. The United States title keeps changing hands anyway

Ricochet proudly hoists the title

Despite the fact that the title is actually in very good hands and has been for a bit, the United States Championship really isn't taken all that seriously. It's only now that the title is being contested in a heated feud, but prior to that, the title would freely change hands and it's been that way for a few years now.

Rarely will you ever see a lengthy United States title reign. Even this year alone, all the title reigns have been comparatively short-lived, with Samoa Joe having the longest reign between March and May.

Given that the title constantly changes hands, WWE probably feels that it doesn't really matter how many times the United States Championship changes hands.

See WWE Extreme Rules Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Extreme Rules Results page

#4. To set up a big SummerSlam match

AJ Styles hoists Ricochet up

SummerSlam is already looking really good so far with some juicy potential match-ups. Based on WWE Extreme Rules 2019 alone, it seems clear that three matches will be booked:

Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins

Drew McIntyre vs The Undertaker

AJ Styles vs Ricochet

These are three marquee match-ups for the PPV and they will be selling point for sure. What you can fully expect is for Styles and Ricochet to have the best match of their series at the biggest party of the summer.

Moreover, there really isn't any bigger or better match-up for AJ Styles at WWE SummerSlam 2019. Ricochet is an ideal opponent and he's perfect to challenge someone of AJ Styles' calibre. That will make AJ Styles' SummerSlam opponent list as follows - John Cena (2016), Kevin Owens (2017), Samoa Joe (2018) and Ricochet (2019). Now that is impressive!

#3. To eventually push Ricochet

Ricochet will strike back

What seemed quite clear to us is that AJ Styles' feud with Ricochet is purely for the benefit of the latter. Ricochet is one of the fastest rising stars on Monday Night RAW and WWE knows that he's one of the big players they want to push going forward.

In essence, AJ Styles is doing to Ricochet what John Cena did to him three years ago when he arrived. With over three years in WWE, Styles has truly established himself as one of the best veterans on the roster.

The ultimate objective of this rivalry will be to put Ricochet over, which is why you shouldn't be surprised if Ricochet becomes a 2-time Champion within less than a month. The rivalry can extend even beyond the summer, but ultimately, it's all so that Ricochet can get the big rub by beating the veteran.

#2. To justify his heel turn

AJ Styles got a little assistance

When a superstar turns heel, it's usually followed by a major push. Simply put, WWE needed to justify AJ Styles' heel turn and in kayfabe, it ended up working out because it resulted in a title.

Ultimately, Gallows & Anderson helping him meant it was a shortcut, but would the heel turn be as impactful had AJ Styles ended up losing to Ricochet? It reminds us of last year, when Becky Lynch turned heel against Charlotte Flair. It was instantly justified with her beating Charlotte Flair the following PPV for the championship.

Either way, now that AJ Styles has turned heel and become champion, it'll be interesting to see how he carries it around. One thing we don't expect from the reign, however, is for it to be a long one. As mentioned, the United States title's recent history suggests that he won't hold it for long.

#1. He's guaranteed to be a good and reliable champion

A triumphant night

AJ Styles is undeniable. Over the course of three years in WWE, they've hardly ever stopped pushing him and he remains a constant feature of WWE's main event scene. He's just that good and the fans know it and so does the company.

AJ Styles is also a genuine hard-working company man, proving his dedication time and again. That time in 2017 when he flew from South America to the United States to be a last-minute replacement at TLC alone was enough to impress Vince McMahon that he made him WWE Champion a month later.

All said and done, AJ Styles is reliable as one can be and he is guaranteed to be a great champion in every way. WWE knows exactly how good he is and they know that he's always a safe bet when making somebody a champion.