10 Early WWE Predictions For 2017
4. AJ Styles: Franchise Player
Few wrestlers have had a better 2016 than AJ Styles. The Phenomenal One made his long-awaited WWE debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble, and wasted little time in solidifying his position as the consensus best wrestler on the planet. Styles has been churning out world-class PPV matches with shocking ease, and he cemented his status as one of WWE’s most important performers by taking Dean Ambrose’s WWE Championship at Backlash.
With John Cena taking an increasingly limited schedule, Styles is SmackDown’s cornerstone. He is the centerpiece around which everything else revolves, and it’s long overdue. After years spent establishing himself as one of wrestling’s top performers in TNA and NJPW, Styles is finally showcasing his abilities on the world’s biggest stage, and his transition has been effortless.
2017 is the year he kicks things up a notch. At 39 years old, his time on the top is relatively limited, and WWE must maximise his talents before age catches up with him. While Raw’s main eventers continue struggling for credibility, Styles shines brightly on the blue brand. Having found his voice as a heel, the only thing stopping him from replacing Cena as WWE’s franchise player is the company’s writing team.