10 Impulse Reactions Following WWE Elimination Chamber 2017

3. What Next For AJ Styles?

Baron Corbin Dean Ambrose
WWE.com

Despite another sterling night for the 'Phenomenal One' as he continues an unparalleled in-ring run not seen since Shawn Michaels in the mid-1990s, defeat at the climax of the Elimination Chamber main event leaves him perilously close to irrelevance at the worst possible time.

With his John Cena story wrapped up at the Royal Rumble, and his WWE Title rematch packaged in the Chamber, AJ can't really force his way back into a chase for gold until after WrestleMania, and doesn't really even have viable opposition to take his frustrations out on.

Niggling threats that he may be the handpicked opponent for this year's Shane McMahon stunt show have gathered pace, and in light of yet another show-stealing display ending in defeat, it seems as if an aerial war with 'The Money' might be the only chance for Styles to shine in the WrestleMania spotlight.

There are worse positions to be in than across the ring from a McMahon of course, but 2016's Superstar of the Year (in any single category you can think of) really deserves a more enthralling night's work at the 'Show of Shows' than the carry-job he'll be tasked with on April 2nd.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett