10 Booking Steps To AJ Styles Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Finn Bálor At WrestleMania 34
10. Baron Corbin Wins The United States Championship
Is there an irony in the first step on this journey being taken by the antithesis of the trio? It seems as though Baron Corbin is about to transition into a feud with AJ Styles for the WWE United States Championship, after the 'Lone Wolf' made it clear on SmackDown that he was coming for the winner of the AJ/Kevin Owens main event.
AJ prevailed on that night, but Corbin wasn’t there for the finish. The special guest referee had decided to quit mid-match in protest, leaving Shane McMahon to officiate the end of the bout. AJ is now looking for a new challenger, and Big Banter more than fits the bill.
To begin the road to WrestleMania, AJ Styles must lose the US Championship to Baron Corbin. The match is likely to take place at the next SmackDown Live pay-per-view, which just so happens to be Hell in a Cell in October. Corbin has flirted with the main event scene in 2017 without truly being ready - a secondary title run may well do him the world of good.
Dropping the title also allows AJ to move back up to the main event scene - where he undoubtedly belongs.