8 Early Predictions For WWE Backlash 2016

AJ Styles put-in the best match of his young WWE career against John Cena at SummerSlam. It was a match that outdid their exceptional Money in the Bank effort, and cemented Styles’ status as a franchise player in WWE, and a cornerstone of the company’s immediate future.

Clean, decisive wins over Cena are almost unheard of, and it speaks volumes that WWE have given Styles this rub. With or without Gallows and Anderson, Styles has excelled as a cocksure heel, and on September 11th, he’s taking his soccer mom haircut to Virginia for a shot at the WWE World Championship.

Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles isn’t quite the “dream match” WWE would have you believe, but it’s the best SmackDown match they can make at the moment. Ambrose’s clash with Ziggler was a disappointment, but that was as much down to a lukewarm crowd reaction and poor card position as anything else. In Styles, he faces one of the best wrestlers on the planet: a guy that could likely pull a great match out of The Great Khali. Barring a disaster, they’re going to deliver a great performance, and the feud promises to be exciting.

The Lunatic Fringe has been a strong champion. Though the belt’s lustre was almost torn apart at SummerSlam, Dean comprehensively defeated Ziggler to retain, and he was triumphant in Battleground’s Shield Triple Threat one month prior. He feels every bit the superstar fans hoped he’d become two years ago, and if he stays focused, he’s a great opponent for Styles.

With all that said, Styles is 39. He’s a world-class professional wrestler, but he’s not getting any younger, and WWE must capitalise on his incredible momentum before age starts taking its toll. A title switch here would cement AJ as SmackDown’s biggest star, and set the tone for a compelling multi-month rivalry with Ambrose.