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AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe. What was initially thought as an old and overused storyline in which a heel takes shot at the face rival’s family has turned out to be a superb feud, thanks to the superb mic skills of both the WWE champion, AJ Styles, and the ‘Samoan Submission Machine’, Samoa Joe.
These two men have faced each other multiple times in TNA - WWE's rival promotion, but the fact that this feud is taking place for the first time in WWE is what adds to the significance of the feud. Joe has been killing it with his promos and the “OH WENDY!” catchphrase.
This feud has become too personal for both men, with Joe promising to relieve AJ Styles of his duties as the WWE Champion so that he could go back to his family and raise his children, while "The Phenomenal One" claims these promises to be nothing but trash talking, which is being used by Samoa Joe to disturb him mentally.
Both men delivered an instant classic at Summerslam 2018, with the DQ finish only elevating the feud moving forward. Since then, this rivalry has seen many great promos, with "Night Night AJ" possibly being the best promo delivered this year. Their match at Hell in a Cell was good, just like their previous encounters.
The finish to their Hell in a Cell match was controversial, with Styles pinning Joe, after tapping out to him. This led to a frustrated Joe wreaking havoc around, causing the SD Live General Manager Paige to grant him a rematch for the WWE Title at the Super Showdown event with a No Disqualification stipulation.
This feud has been very interesting, with many people claiming it to be a throwback to the glorious Ruthless Aggression Era of the Company.
But, WWE have spoiled many promising feuds in the past. Take, for instance, the AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura feud. WWE made the dream of every fan come true when they made “The King of Strong Style” win the Royal Rumble match in January 2018 and instantly announcing his rival to be the WWE Champion, AJ Styles.
A heel turn by “The Rockstar” would only renew the interest of the WWE Universe in the feud. However, with the two repeatedly battling it out at Backlash, Greatest Royal Rumble, Smackdown Live and Money in the Bank, with "The Artist" winning only the non-title match between the two on an episode of Smackdown Live and two of the 4 encounters ending in a controversial manner made this feud long and boring to such an extent, that the fans who once were excited at the thought of Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles were now willing to see anything other than this particular matchup.
The same seems to be coming true for the Styles/Joe feud. They have already had two controversial finishes and are set to collide for the third time at the Super Show-Down Pay-per-view. If "The Right Hand of Destruction" does win the WWE Championship here, it would easily refresh the feud, as well as the landscape of "The House that A J Styles built".
A double turn (which is a very rare possibility in this feud) could also make this feud the talk of the town. Also, as Reigns is not going to lose the Universal Title anytime soon, crowning Joe as the WWE Champion could see him colliding with 'The Big Dog' in a Champion vs Champion match at Survivor Series, keeping the traditional heel-face balance of the feud stable. However, if this doesn’t happen, this feud will take the same course as the Styles/Nakamura feud, with the two possibly fighting once again at the Crown Jewel event.
Joe has been built as a monster on SmackDown Live and failing to win the WWE Title would surely harm his character. Like Baron Corbin and Shinsuke Nakamura, a defeated contender for WWE Title turned US Champion, would not play out well for Joe.
This, in turn, would have many negative consequences on the blue brand. There’s a rare possibility, but fans may start booing Styles just like Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar. With limited options available on SmackDown Live, who could rise up to face AJ Styles for the WWE Title at WrestleMania? Samoa Joe too would lose all his credibility and momentum, which he had gained after returning from an injury.
It would also lead to a reduced interest in the WWE Universe for the WWE Title, with no title change taking place. As the blue brand’s secondary title has not received any kind of exposure in the recent weeks, this can cause huge problems for the company, SmackDown live in particular. This is not something the company would like, with the 2-hour long show shifting to FOX network next year.
So, in my opinion, the short and sweet way of keeping the blue brand relevant and exciting is to crown Samoa Joe as the WWE Champion at the Super Show-Down pay-per-view. Joe is a talented wrestler and has earned himself a WWE Title reign. Make this happen, WWE.
Would you like to see Samoa Joe winning the WWE Title at The Super Showdown PPV? Do drop your valuable opinion in the comments section below. :)
