#4 AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon, the unwanted match
AJ Styles had a monster 2016. The Phenomenal One was the WWE Champion, he owned John Cena, and he beat everyone that was put in front of him. The man that so many believed would never set foot in the WWE again, ruled the company as a true top guy.
But to follow that up with a match against Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 33? That’s something that virtually no one saw coming. Instead of working The Undertaker, Randy Orton or Bray Wyatt, Styles is probably heading to a match with a guy that’s not only not a part-time wrestler; he’s not even a wrestler at all.
There are a lot of ways that this match could fail. The most obvious way is if Styles were to lose. His star has never shined brighter in the industry than it has over the past year, but a ‘Mania loss to Shane would surely dim it considerably.
Similarly, there’s not much to be gained if Styles wins. After all, he would have pinned the corporate authority of SmackDown Live, and there’s not exactly a lot of bragging rights to go along with it. Styles would basically be standing still either way.
The fact is that this match is likely being considered because there are no other available talents that the company feels can match up well with AJ. Aside from a surprise twist in the form of Shinsuke Nakamura, it does indeed appear that Shane is the man that will face Styles at WrestleMania.
Styles has been built as a top guy in the company, and that cannot stop now. WWE must find a way to balance the entertainment value of this match next to the real world implications of mishandling one of its top stars. It will not be an easy task.
