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The main event of Monday Night RAW on April 29th saw an intense segment between Universal Champion Seth Rollins and The Phenomenal AJ Styles. It was a contract signing and as 98% of the contract signings in WWE go, there was a brawl to end it all.
It certainly was a good step up from last week, where Seth Rollins and AJ Styles shook hands. But from last week, it was clear that while the two respected each other, this wasn't exactly going to be a rivalry with hugs and handshakes and laughter outside the ring.
These are two top-level competitors and the segment on RAW only further proved that this is going to be the most high-profile RAW feud in a long time.
It really does feel long overdue, because no Brock Lesnar feud with the Universal title felt as important as Rollins' one with Styles. Here's what we took away from the incredible segment.
#5. Brock Lesnar is completely away from the picture...this time for good
Last time when Brock Lesnar lost the Universal Championship, it seemed as though he was done for good and heading to the UFC. However, he came back and after Roman Reigns vacated the title, he won it back again.
This time, it seems as though he really isn't coming back. WWE is going all in on the Styles-Rollins feud, while Lesnar's focus will be on Daniel Cormier and the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Lesnar himself revealed that he's been invited to fight Cormier later in the year and around the same time, ESPN MMA journalists revealed that UFC is planning an MSG show earlier than November, presumably for Lesnar vs Cormier.
This time around, you can be 100% sure that Brock Lesnar won't be back and injecting himself in the Universal title picture.
#4. This isn't a one-off feud
What is also clear (and rightfully so), is that this isn't going to be a one-off feud. While AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins is obviously a massive high profile match for Money in the Bank, it can be fully expected to extend right after.
Whether it means a non-finish, a messy finish or something else, it's clear that WWE is in this programme for the long haul. That likely means that they could very well have a programme that extends all the way until SummerSlam.
We understand that it's hard to trust WWE to tell a good story for nearly four months, but it's definitely not impossible and there are multiple different ways to keep the story going without the two having to face each other every single PPV.
It would be the right thing to do, because it's the biggest match you can think of for a PPV as big as SummerSlam.
#3. It's going to main event Money in the Bank
If you think about it, the Universal title match between Seth Rollins and AJ Styles is basically the biggest and best MITB main event since 2016, where Rollins challenged (and defeated) Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship.
That night in 2016 was special in its own way, but the point here is that the past two years have had very average main events, with Baron Corbin and Braun Strowman both winning the MITB briefcases (and both also failing the cash-in).
This time, it doesn't need to be an MITB match main eventing the PPV. The Universal title match is the biggest one on the show and ideally, should be the one going on last.
Given the intensity of the segment, it seems very clear now that it's being treated as the main event match. We couldn't be more excited about it!
#2. AJ Styles has come leaps and bounds in his promo ability
Remember in 2016 when AJ Styles' biggest weakness was his promo skills? Sure, he was never exactly the best promo, but his time in WWE, if anything, has seen him massively improve his promo skills and character work.
Also read: 5 reasons why Vince McMahon will make AJ Styles win the Universal Championship at MITB 2019
And this is exactly what separates superstars like Styles from the rest of the batch. He knew very well that WWE is very promo-heavy and character-based, which is why he focused on improving on these aspects of his game.
The segment with Seth Rollins saw him show an intense side of himself and his promo was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. The subtext of lines such as "I'll do anything to get the Universal Championship" showed his abilities and it's evident that his promos are no longer a hole in his game.
Given how rapidly he improved and listened to higher-ups, it's no wonder that Vince McMahon pushes him as hard as he does.
#1. AJ Styles is turning heel
It's a bit painful to imagine, but from the look of things, we're going to be getting a heel AJ Styles for the first time in two years. His 2016-17 run saw him take it to another level as a heel. However, the major problem was that fans simply didn't want to boo him.
As a result, he was basically treated like a babyface for a good portion of his run as a heel. However, this time around, things seem to be a little different. He's not as hot as he was in 2016, but he has been long-established and accepted as a main event player.
Moreover, Seth Rollins is far more over as a babyface and people want to cheer him more. Sure, there will be the polarizing reactions since both superstars are amazing, but WWE may be pulling the trigger on Styles as a heel. It would certainly do wonders in heating up the feud.
