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The Superstar Shake-Up edition of Monday Night RAW was quite the episode. There were quite a few names that came over to the red brand that we did not really expect to see. The most notable one among them was The Viking Experience. But the night ended with arguably the biggest headline of the night.
AJ Styles has arrived on RAW and will be slugging it out with the men in the roster. Why was the decision made to bring the Phenomenal One to the red brand? Let me try and answer the question in this article.
As always, I invite your thoughts, comments, and criticism in the comments. Why was AJ Styles brought over to RAW from SmackDown Live?
Why did he leave the house that he built and move on to a new residence?
#5 Been the face of the blue brand for far too long
AJ Styles has basically been the anchor that has kept the blue brand afloat over the years. Other superstars have come and gone, but he has been the man who's led the charge on SmackDown Live, and also held the WWE Championship for the most amount of time. He's had memorable feuds with the likes of Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, and Dean Ambrose while on the blue brand.
After taking on Randy Orton at WrestleMania 35, there is literally nobody left for him to face. AJ Styles needs a fresh set of opponents and the best way for him to achieve this is through a move to the red brand. Now he can mix it up with the likes of McIntyre, Lashley, and Corbin in addition to the babyfaces as well.
It allows Styles to tell new stories. It allows fans to see fresh new feuds.
#4 Dream match with Seth Rollins has not happened yet
It is not out of the realm of possibility to assume that now that AJ Styles is on RAW, he will be at the very top of the card. This is because of how he has been booked on SmackDown Live, and one assumes that the same will continue on the red brand as well. So, expect him to be a Universal Championship contender sooner rather than later.
Now if you were to ask the WWE Universe to name the two best workers in the company, chances are they would name Rollins and AJ Styles. While the two men have clashed in the independent circuit, they have not tussled in WWE thus far. This could certainly change on RAW.
While both men are babyfaces at the moment, one must remember that nothing lasts forever. Styles may turn before Rollins does.
#3 To compensate for RAW losing big guns during the Superstar Shake-Up
Well, a lot of new names have come to RAW as part of the Superstar Shake-Up. You have stars like Andrade, The Miz, and Rey Mysterio who could certainly take RAW to the next level in the coming months.
But at the same time, RAW is also certain to lose a lot of big names to SmackDown Live. Some have even suggested that big names like Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar may start representing the blue brand in the months that follow.
And if this is really the case, then it makes sense to bring the biggest name from SmackDown Live, AJ Styles to the red brand. As it is, WWE is already reeling from the loss of one Dean Ambrose, who's leaving the company behind for greener pastures.
To be honest, AJ Styles is a big name for RAW to count and rely upon, really.
#2 A program against Kofi Kingston would turn Styles heel
I have no doubt that if AJ Styles and Kofi Kingston take each other on, the matches will be special. At the same time, it would turn AJ Styles heel and that is not something that WWE would possibly want. The Phenomenal One sells a lot of merchandise and they wouldn't want to lose out on a major cash cow.
If WWE were to keep AJ Styles in the SmackDown title picture, chances are that he'd be booked right at the top. And if he were booked in that position, he'd have to take on someone like Kofi Kingston. Kingston is on fire right now and such a fight would have turned Styles heel.
If he remains on RAW, AJ Styles can now potentially vie for the Universal Championship at long last. And he can do this, as a babyface.
#1 To continue his dream feud against Finn Balor
At TLC 2017, we were supposed to see Finn Balor take on Bray Wyatt, in his Sister Abigail avatar. But then suddenly, Bray Wyatt fell ill and the WWE brass was at a loss about what to do, considering the circumstances. And then, AJ Styles was announced as Bray Wyatt's official replacement against Balor. The two men put on a match that is spoken about with much fondness.
Because 'The Demon King' never takes a loss, Balor won that particular confrontation. Recently, AJ Styles himself teased a rematch or a possible reunion with Finn Balor. Both men hail from the Bullet Club in Japan, so maybe they can team up down the line someday.
But first, I can imagine them tearing it up for the Intercontinental Championship. Imagine the quality of their matches when they take the stage against each other.
'This is awesome' chants would resound across the entire arena.
