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At WrestleMania 35, AJ Styles secured an all-important win over his arch-rival Randy Orton in what was truly one of the best matches of the night. The WWE Universe at the Metlife Stadium was indeed in for a treat as two of the biggest veterans of the business laid it all out on the line and after a back-and-forth contest, it was eventually 'The Phenomenal One' who came out victorious against 'The Viper'.
With a win over Orton, the former two-time WWE Champion could very well shift his focus towards other challengers on the blue brand or could possibly challenge for any of the titles on the blue brand as well.
Nevertheless, that being said now seems like the perfect time to take an in-depth look at 4 possible directions for AJ Styles from here on. What does the future hold for 'The Phenomenal One'? Who will he challenge next? Let's get into it!
#5 Rematch with Randy Orton
Randy Orton and AJ Styles sure did have an outstanding match with each other at WrestleMania 35 but I personally think that both men could've possibly exploited each other a bit more and maybe could've put together a better match if they had some extra time on their hands. That being said, a rematch at the next pay-per-view could very well be the solution to this problem and hosting a possible gimmick match between the two men is surely going to be thoroughly enjoyed by the WWE Universe.
A second win for Styles should legitimize his place as SmackDown Live's so-called "landlord" since it's the house that he built.
However, WWE needs to be careful that they don't extend the feud longer than that.
#4 Styles sets his sights on the US Title
Following WrestleMania 35, Styles could possibly scratch and claw his way to the top like the one true babyface he is. Apart from the likes of Kofi Kingston, AJ Styles is surely one of the most over faces on the blue brand today and WWE somehow needs to capitalize on that. The best way to do so would be to have Styles in a redemption storyline, as he has now finally put all his doubters to bed, that including 'The Viper' Randy Orton, and can finally shift his focus on championship gold once again.
The best way to do so would be to have Styles step up to another one of his arch-rivals in the form of Samoa Joe (who is the US Champion at the time of writing) and ignite yet another rivalry with 'The Samoan Submission Machine' following the culmination of 'Mania 35.
#3 Styles turns heel
AJ Styles is one of the finest heels on the planet and that right there is a fact!
Styles' first and only run as a heel in WWE saw him for The Club, beat up John Cena, win the WWE Championship, and eventually defeat Shane McMahon as well. However, it has been almost two years since Styles has last turned heel and now seems like a good time for a change in character for 'The Phenomenal One'.
The Raw and SmackDown after WrestleMania always seem like a good time for pulling off the biggest shocks and having Styles turn his back on the WWE Universe once again would be totally unbelievable and unexpected at this point.
A heel run as a World Champion, maybe even reform The Club for the one final time, the possibilities are endless for a heel AJ Styles. Having him feud against the likes of Ali or even Rey Mysterio, who are some of the more popular babyfaces on the roster would be good for a start.
#2 A new challenger emerges
Now things might not turn out as expected for AJ Styles and he might not find himself challenging for a title belt right off the get-go. Instead, Styles could engage himself in a feud against a rising Superstar, someone who could emerge and step up to the plate as the former WWE Champion's next challenger.
Someone such as Ali would seem like the perfect choice since he has been on the rise, however, since it's the SmackDown after 'Mania, having an NXT Superstar come up to the main roster and challenge Styles instead would seem like the best possible choice from here on.
One such name which pops up in my mind is non-other than former WWE United Kingdom Champion, Pete Dunne, who recently lost his UK Title to Walter after a legendary reign of 600 days. Not only will 'The Bruiserweight' add more depth to the main roster but a feud with someone as experienced as AJ Styles will be really fun to watch.
#1 The WWE Championship
AJ Styles is a former two-time WWE Champion and at WrestleMania 35 he secured a win over a multi-time WWE World Champion, now there are a few possible options for Styles from here on but the most viable, in my opinion, is him challenging for the WWE Championship once again.
With Kofi Kingston creating history at WrestleMania by winning the WWE Title by defeating Daniel Bryan in an outstanding match, the New Day member will be in need of credible challengers who could step up to the plate and challenge Kingston for the title. What better way to do so other than to have someone like AJ Styles step up as Kingston's first challenger.
Now it's not necessary for Styles to win the WWE Title straight from Kingston in his first feud, however, a solid rivalry between the two will surely establish Kofi as a legitimate WWE Champion and will also help Styles as well.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
