WWE Extreme Rules 2019: 5 Possible finishes for the United States Championship match between Ricochet and AJ Styles

Thankfully for us fans, the match between AJ Styles and Ricochet that occurred on RAW a few weeks ago was only the first match between the RAW stars. Once Styles turned heel after losing the second match with Ricochet, it set up an ongoing feud that might span across more than one PPV.

If there's a screwy finish to the match at Extreme Rules, then the pairing might have a match with bigger stakes at SummerSlam. It's the second biggest PPV of the year and WWE might want to save the conclusion of their feud for the Biggest Party of the Summer.

This will be the first showdown in the feud at a PPV but it will technically be their third match over the title. If it is a one-off PPV feud, then one of the participants will win clean and move on to other challenges. But, depending on how long the feud will last, any number of outcomes could come into play.

Ricochet's initial defeat of Styles helped the Club to not only reform but also turn Styles heel since all parties felt that they needed a change. Now that a heel Styles is on RAW, it means that any of the faces on the show could be in trouble. Styles was unsuccessful in winning the Universal Championship from Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank, but now that he's a bad guy with some backup, that is a feud that could be revisited.

Here are five possible outcomes for the US Championship match between Ricochet and Styles.

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#5 AJ Styles wins by DQ

Too much outside meddling from The Club might force Ricochet to resort to getting some extreme help from a chair.

Ricochet is clearly at a disadvantage is this rivalry with Styles. Despite picking up wins over all three members of the group at different points over the last few weeks, it's still three guys against one. If the numbers' game becomes too much for 'The One and Only,' he might need some help in the form of a weapon, like a chair.

If he tries to fight back, he could get caught by the referee. This finish would keep both men from suffering a pin since neither man can really take one right now. Ricochet just won the title and needs to maintain his momentum.

Styles, on the other hand, needs something to justify his heel turn. Simply losing both title bids in his first few months on RAW would be a failure of his tenure on the red brand. The US Championship has changed hands a lot this year and the holders of the title often don't have reigns for more than two months. A DQ win by Styles gives him a claim to getting another title shot.

#4 Ricochet wins by DQ

Will outside interference lead to a win for the One and Only?

On the flip side of Styles winning by DQ is if Ricochet wins by DQ. The Club will probably be at ringside during the match and will attempt to interfere at every turn. Styles doesn't need the help to win, but it will help give The Club more heat from the fans.

The interference could be behind the ref's back for most of the match, but he could catch either Gallows or Anderson trying to cheat at some point. Another possibility is that they blatantly cheat in front of the ref in order to simply beat up Ricochet. They might not care about winning but more about sending a message.

Ricochet winning by DQ would keep both sides looking strong, but he would probably be unsatisfied with winning that way. With that outcome, it could set up another match for SummerSlam if that is indeed the plan for both men next month. WWE rarely has title feuds last for one PPV and this is the type of feud that should be prolonged due to the athletic ability and in-ring talent of both participants.

#3 AJ Styles wins the US Championship in clean fashion

Will the Phenomenal One add another US Championship to his resume?

Both men have already picked up clean wins over the other. Styles won the first match the night after Ricochet won the title from Samoa Joe. Poor Joe. That win necessitated an actual title match for the title between the two men. While the false finish led to a restart of the match that Ricochet eventually won, it did help The Club officially turn heel.

But, if WWE wants its biggest names holding gold at SummerSlam, then Ricochet might be dropping the title to Styles at Extreme Rules. It would be a shame to have yet another short title run for the US Champ, but that is how WWE has booked the title for the duration of the brand split.

All of the singles champions are currently faces so there needs to be a title or two that changes over to heels. There needs to be some balance between good and evil, and another US Championship win for Styles could help that balance. Some fans will cheer for him either way.

#2 Ricochet retains with a clean win

Surely Ricochet will have a longer reign than a month, right?

Ricochet would get a huge push forward if he beats Styles clean in the middle of the ring. Styles has been positioned as one of the top stars in the company alongside Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. A win over any one of those three men is a huge accomplishment and a sign of bigger things on the horizon.

It's been recently revealed that Paul Heyman, who is now in charge of Raw, is a big supporter of 'the One and Only'. It's not hard to see why, so Ricochet winning and retaining would further solidify Heyman's faith in Ricochet.

I already mentioned that the title itself needs some better booking, so letting the current champ have a lengthy reign would help to reestablish some notoriety for it. 'The One and Only' is being set up as one of the top faces on RAW and in the WWE, so him winning the title at one PPV and then losing it at the next would put an immediate halt to his upward momentum.

#1 AJ Styles and the Club cheat in order to win

The Club will play into the match somehow.

As we have witnessed on the last two episodes of RAW, The Club isn't shy about having all its members attack one guy. They've interfered in matches before and won't stop that tactic any time soon. While it would kill any momentum that Ricochet has established, an easy way for Styles to grab another US Championship would be to have him win with a little help from his friends.

If WWE wants us to take the recreated partnership seriously, then they all need to be holding championships. While the US Championship is only the secondary belt on RAW, it is still a title and immediately increases a performer's stock. The Club will most definitely be at ringside and if they are in Styles' corner, then they aren't going to be there to look bald and pretty.

I think the question is not if they will interfere but how much Gallows and Anderson will interfere. They might get caught by the ref and sent to the back or they could pull off some successful shenanigans that would see their leader win another title.

If this reformation of The Club was only done to have the Good Brothers resign, then they'll go back to being jobbers again before we know it. Having a title or titles to carry around would give the group some clout to brag about.