10 Reasons The WWE Title Is Meaningless In 2017
8. The House That AJ Styles Built
The saddest thing about the WWE Title's rapid decline in 2017 has been how aggressively it undermines the outstanding work as champion from AJ Styles in 2016.
Considered a failure at the highest level less than a year removed from his experimental reign as champion, Dean Ambrose's elevation was too late into his own character's deconstruction to gain a foothold as SmackDown Live! kingpin.
Snaring the gold in a triple threat with 'The Lunatic Fringe' and John Cena was a landmark moment from AJ Styles' remarkable maiden year with WWE. He'd had simply been too good not to use on top.
In the ring, he remained in a league of his own, as most had known for the majority of his career. But his work on the microphone improved exponentially, despite a separation from 'Club' buddies Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in the 2016 Draft.
AJ was and still is the best performer in the company, and his devoted relationship with the WWE Title played to the real and storyline assertions of his skills.
The fact he never received a one-on-one rematch even triggered his WrestleMania match with Shane McMahon, and has been quietly dropped since his inevitable babyface turn. That Styles has already moved onto a pursuit for Kevin Owens' United States title says far more about the WWE Title than it does about the 'The Phenomenal One'.