5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE No Mercy 2016

2. AJ Styles

AJ Styles is probably the best wrestler on the planet at the moment. He has effortlessly carried over his career-best NJPW run into the American wrestling mainstream, and at this point, Styles is pulling off world class matches at a breathless pace. No Mercy furthered his tradition of excellence: it was a fast moving encounter that bounced effortless from big spot to big spot, and in the end, AJ emerged victorious.

Turning heel has worked incredibly well for him. AJ looks far more comfortable as a sneaky, cocksure villain than he did as a good guy, and last night saw him once again resort to underhand tactics by battering Cena with a chair for the win. It’s this opportunism that sets him apart not only from Cena and Ambrose, but every other wrestler on the WWE roster.

Furthermore, pinning Cena on yet another PPV cements his undisputed status as the top guy, as if it wasn’t already established before. That’s two pinfalls in a row for Styles, and beating Ambrose a few weeks ago, nobody can touch him at the top of the pile. His means are nefarious, yes, but all that matters is that AJ’s getting the job done where others can’t, and his reign continues.

It’s likely that we’ll see this rival continue in some form, particularly given the submission non-finish, but it’d be foolish to bet against Styles at this point. His cunning knows no limits, and nobody has devised a successful way to counter it.