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Friday Night SmackDown is going to be "Phenomenal" once again as WWE has officially announced that AJ Styles has been traded to the blue brand with future considerations. On his first night after return on SmackDown, Styles competed against Shinsuke Nakamura in a first-round match of the tournament to crown the new Intercontinental Champion.
AJ Styles pinned Nakamura and advanced to the next round where he'll be facing Elias with the winner going on to the finals. Styles is arguably the favorite to win the tournament and become the new IC Champion. With him now back as part of "The House that AJ Styles built", his chances of winning it all increase further.
So what could the future look like if the "Phenomenal One" indeed gets his hands on the Intercontinental title? Let's take a look at five things that could potentially happen if AJ Styles becomes the new IC Champion. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below on whether or not you would like to see him win the title!
#5 One step closer to a Phenomenal Grand Slam
AJ Styles made his WWE debut at Royal Rumble 2016 as a surprise entrant. In the four years that he has been with the company, he is a 2-time WWE Champion with one of those reigns lasting for more than a year. He has also won the United States title thrice.
Winning the tournament and becoming the Intercontinental Champion would get him one step closer to completing a "Grand Slam" of championships in WWE. This accomplishment is achieved when a wrestler wins every championship available to them in a promotion throughout their career.
As per the revised format, a Superstar should win a primary World Championship (WWF/WWE/Universal), a Tag Team Championship (WWE/RAW/SmackDown) and both the Intercontinental and United States Championships to complete the Grand Slam.
With Styles already having won two of those titles, winning the IC Championship would only leave him a Tag Team title victory away from becoming a Grand Slam Champion in WWE. A Superstar of the caliber of Styles surely deserves this honor!
#4 The Intercontinental Championship gets equal billing to the Universal Title
No offense to any of the previous title holders, but AJ Styles winning the Intercontinental Championship would add a lot more credibility to the title. As the saying goes - it is not the title that makes a wrestler, but a wrestler that makes the title.
The Intercontinental title has always been referred to as the championship of the workhorse performers and there are few who can call themselves more deserving of being called a workhorse than AJ Styles.
With that said, Styles winning the championship would lead to the value of the so-called "mid-card title" increasing, perhaps even to the a similar level as the Universal Championship.
WWE could easily choose to present AJ Styles with the Intercontinental title as being a star equal to current Universal Champion Braun Strowman. This would give the SmackDown roster two credible main event level talents to build around. With the company missing several big names right now, that would be no bad thing.
Maybe the "Phenomenal One" can even start a weekly open challenge for the title and tear the house down every week with a new challenger, while also putting the spotlight on some new talent. AJ Styles is arguably one of the biggest Superstars in the modern history of SmackDown and he can help build the place again!
#3 A gradual rise to the Universal Championship picture
As mentioned earlier, AJ Styles is a 2-time WWE Champion. However, he has never been able to get his hands (no pun intended) on the Universal Championship. He did challenge Seth Rollins for the said title (albeit the red version of it) at Money in the Bank last year, but was unsuccessful in winning the belt.
With AJ Styles moving to Friday Night SmackDown full time, he surely will be in the main title picture in the future. A run with the Intercontinental Championship could be a great way to set up his gradual rise to the main event scene. He has faced some major losses recently, including the Boneyard Match against The Undertaker, as well as coming up short in the Money in the Bank ladder match earlier this month.
The "Phenomenal One" had the following to say during a backstage interview after his SmackDown return:
"Back on the house that AJ Styles built! Is that the Blue brand you're talking about? Oh, I'm more than back. I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to beat anybody who steps in the ring with me and I mean anyone. I got to redeem myself. I got to redeem myself! No one gets buried alive and comes back like AJ Styles and I hope The Undertaker hears every word I'm saying."
A long IC title reign could help AJ Styles regain some momentum, while also providing for some entertaining rivalries and matches.
#2 Some interesting rivalries
AJ Styles could have some really interesting rivalries while holding the Intercontinental Championship. As mentioned in the quote on the last slide, WWE does not seem to be done with his feud against The Undertaker.
AJ Styles took on "The Deadman" at WrestleMania 36 in a Boneyard Match after an intense rivalry that saw both Superstars make things very personal. It was The Undertaker who walked out victorious after their brawl at the "Show of Shows", leaving AJ Styles buried alive (in kayfabe, of course).
AJ Styles returned in time for Money in the Bank but during the match, we saw him getting flashes of his encounter with The Undertaker leading to some intense moments. With Styles again targeting "The Phenom" during his backstage interview, we might well be heading towards another feud between the two. But could it be for the Intercontinental Championship this time? It is interesting to note that despite having a legendary career, The Undertaker has never won the IC title, one of the few things he is yet to achieve in WWE.
Other than The Undertaker, AJ Styles could also feud against the likes of a returning Sami Zayn, Cesaro, or even Jeff Hardy - all of which would be must watch!
#1 AJ Styles becomes the top heel on SmackDown
AJ Styles is one of those versatile Superstars who is capable of excelling both as a babyface and a heel. It is due to his exceptional in-ring skills and charisma that made him such a huge star in the world of pro wrestling, even before stepping foot into WWE.
While the "Phenomenal One" was a crowd-loving babyface during the initial phase of his career, he has been a heel for quite some time now - and is doing a great job at that! Though he might not have his "Good Brothers" - Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows - by his side anymore, AJ Styles is more than enough to become the standalone top heel on Friday Night SmackDown.
AJ Styles winning the Intercontinental Championship and then constantly bragging about how great he is would be a classic heel move, but he definitely has the verbal skills to pull it off.
The blue brand needs more top heels other than just Baron Corbin and AJ Styles could surely fill the void. One could argue that The Fiend is the top heel of the brand, but the complexity of Bray Wyatt's character is such that it is hard to to categorize him as a face or a heel. On the other hand, Styles could be a proper heel - not a cowardly one - on a mission to rule the roster of SmackDown!
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