10 Recent Mistakes That WWE MUST Learn From
3. Devaluing AJ Styles
It'd be a stretch to say that AJ Styles carried SmackDown last year, but it's no coincidence that the brand's peak months in 2016 came when he was booked on top. Regardless of whether he was holding or chasing the WWE Championship, Styles was comfortably the most enjoyable wrestler in the company last year, and his run as SmackDown's ace was tremendous.
He's still putting on decent matches, and his name brings oodles of credibility to the United States Title, but 'The Phenomenal One' has found himself marginalised in recent months. His feud with Kevin Owens hasn't been about him or the belt, but setting up a future feud between KO and SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon, who was a special guest referee in the duo's SummerSlam bout.
Shane took centre stage that night. AJ won, but it was all about the McMahon/Owens tension, and it continued on SmackDown, when Shane once again stuck his nose in a US Title match. WWE put the spotlight on him, not Styles, and that's no way to use one of the best wrestlers in the world.
Fans want to see AJ in his own spotlight, not on the periphery of a boss vs. wrestler story. Here's hoping this is the end of his marginalisation.