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WWE have scrapped the previously planned lukewarm main event of Jinder Mahal versus Brock Lesnar for Survivor Series 2017. On 19th November 2017, at the Toyota Center, in Houston, we will see two legends of this business collide in the name of brand supremacy.
AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar, two megastars that fans thought would never cross paths, will finally battle in this much-anticipated dream match.
While this might be a historic showdown between these skilled athletes, the WWE Universe is already not convinced that Styles can conquer “The Beast”.
Yet no one would have thought the “Phenomenal One” would have made a hot debut at the Royal Rumble, go on to beat WWE’s franchise star in John Cena, and become the WWE Champion, all in his “rookie” year. Shattering expectations, AJ Styles has proven why he is one of the best wrestlers on the planet today.
Styles vs Lesnar is such an enormous clash, it doesn’t even need a narrative to justify it. Both men have been mirroring each other’s accomplishments for years in the squared circle and now it is time that this dream match has a definite winner.
Here are five reasons why AJ Styles should defeat Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2017
#1 Prove that the Universal Champion can be conquered
Brock Lesnar is currently the most protected Superstar in the entire company and has been bulletproof over the past few years. From monster squashing John Cena and acquiring his WWE Championship, to breaking the immortal Wrestlemania streak of The Undertaker, Lesnar is an unstoppable force.
But it feels as if he is being built up just to be knocked down by a certain Superstar. Wrestlemania 34 will most likely be headlined by Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns, and on that night, "The Big Dog” will probably be the man to finally put “The Conqueror” down.
That has been the problem surrounding every Brock Lesnar match this year - no challenger has felt like a threat to his title and no future challenger will either.
Lesnar is a once in a lifetime fighter who is freakishly quick on his feet, exceptionally agile and especially resilient - abilities which WWE take advantage of and present him as an invincible force.
Styles exhibiting all the above capabilities, technically should have a reasonable chance in defeating "The Beast”. Thus, a hard-fought victory for Styles will give a future challenger a glimmer of hope.
#2 It will give Finn Balor a chance
Rumoured to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble 2018 PPV, Finn Balor theoretically has no chance of slaying "The Beast”. The size difference between Balor and Lesnar may be a central reason.
But the manner in which the inaugural Universal Champion has been subjected to stop-start booking by the WWE creative team, has diminished part of his aura.
As Brock is booked as a glorified a** kicker, whether facing “monsters among men” or “Samoan Submission Machines”, WWE have not let any Superstar dethrone “the conqueror”. Balor even bringing out his alter ego to immobilise "The Beast” won’t be all that convincing.
That is the reason a victory for Styles would benefit future challengers to pose a threat to Lesnar’s Universal Title reign.
As Wrestlemania is approaching, Lesnar looks more than certain to carry the Universal Title into "The Showcase of the Immortals”. A shocking victory for Styles would amp up the believability factor that Balor can dethrone Brock and Wrestlemania 34 could end up with a main event no one foresaw.
WWE have a window of opportunity to create unpredictability heading into Wrestlemania season and should use an AJ Styles victory to ignite this notion.
#3 Allow Smackdown Live to take home the biggest victory of the night
In this year’s edition of Survivor Series, WWE will once again present the idea of brand supremacy. Even though most matches feel forced just for the sake of the theme of brand warfare, the pay-per-view match card is shaping up to be an interesting one due to the talent involved.
The rumour is that Vince McMahon has decided Raw will leave with the bragging rights this year. It is no secret that Smackdown Live is struggling worse than Raw in viewership figures and live attendance numbers. That is due to certain factors; some storylines are just not clicking, the loss of John Cena’s drawing power and general interest in the product is at a low.
That is the reason why at Survivor Series, Raw can acquire the overall win, but the blue brand's top guy must leave with mountains of momentum.
The richest prize in WWE’s history is back on the shoulder of the man that gave relevance to the belt, and the show feels more significant than Raw back in 2016. Thus, beating the biggest draw in WWE will put Styles and Smackdown Live in a favourable position.
With the sudden re-emergence of John Cena to the blue brand, and AJ Styles as new WWE Champion, a victory over "The Beast’’ will allow the "Phenomenal One” to obtain the proverbial spotlight he can use to spike interest once again in “the land of opportunity”.
#4 Establish himself as the top guy in WWE
In the eyes of WWE management, Reigns' polarising status arguably makes him the future of the company as was the case with John Cena a decade earlier. Over on Smackdown Live, through sheer wrestling skill and fan admiration, AJ Styles has begun earning that title from management.
Evident by being the Superstar who finally dethroned Jinder Mahal, who was rumoured to carry the championship all the way up to Wrestlemania 34.
At Survivor Series 2016, Goldberg did shock the world by squashing Lesnar. Unfortunately, Goldberg only went on to wrestle just under ten minutes in his second WWE run. Therefore, that massive win was of no benefit to the WCW icon.
Certain WWE Superstars were on a hot streak this year. The likes of Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman and Shinsuke Nakamura all failed to become World Champion.
Styles' fame stems from his excellent wrestling skill and that popularity has transcended well, making him one of the top merchandise sellers in the company in 2016. As the numbers go, Cena takes the number one spot, Reigns coming in second, and Styles earns the third spot.
Thus, a full-time top merchandise seller like Styles should be given the ultimate endorsement by defeating Lesnar. They say wins and losses don’t matter, but WWE building up Styles as the top guy will allow him to give validation to another rising star down the road.
#5 Make the WWE Championship prestigious again
Although Jinder Mahal’s last title defence was his best performance as WWE Champion, there’s no denying that his Championship run didn’t elevate himself or Smackdown Live. Due to being bogged down by WWE’s tired booking of a foreigner stereotype, the WWE Championship was regulated to being the second most important title on the show.
The WWE Title has been in a rut ever since it was taken off Styles at the Royal Rumble. Short reigns by Cena, Orton and Wyatt have contributed to the diminished state of the title.
At Survivor Series, there will be more eyes on Raw’s top champion and Smackdown Live’s top champion than the title itself. WWE should not miss this opportunity to elevate the WWE Championship.
The Universal title matches have produced some of the most intense main events this year, as Lesnar has faced powerful challenges from Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns. Thus, a triumph for Lesnar will do nothing for the Universal Title.
AJ Styles' first run with the WWE title was an excellent showcase of his ability to elevate an entire programme. Therefore, his second reign should start off with a thunderous victory, as a win for Styles is a step in the right direction for the WWE Championship.
