10 Things We Learned From The Post-WrestleMania Smackdown Live!

6. The Turn

Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE.com

After months soaking up unwavering adoration from Smackdown Live! crowds all over the world, AJ Styles finally appeared to begin his long-awaited babyface turn with a superb promo following his WrestleMania victory.

Addressing opponent Shane McMahon with a message of a respect and a authoritative handshake, Styles made a great case to stay exactly where he was, emphatically referring to the blue brand as the 'House that AJ Styles built'.

Rooted in truth, the promo was a believable defence of his position on the show but ironically may be what seals his Tuesday night demise.

Predictably, the 'Phenomenal One' has become indispensable to the company, routinely having the best match on any night and actually enhancing himself as a performer after his sensational run as a heel WWE Champion.

He's arguably the best wrestler in the world, and inarguably the best in WWE. And for the most part, if anybody's the best at anything in the organisation, they normally end up showcasing those skills on Monday Nights.

Remarkably, if he does depart, the brief segment was strangely powerful. Burying the hatchet with Shane McMahon and subtly turning babyface may prove a fitting end to this portion of his illustrious career.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 almost 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 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL 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