WWE Extreme Rules 2016: 10 Things We Learned

3. Next Feud For AJ Styles Is Critical

aj styles roman reigns extreme rules
WWE.com

The boos that accompanied Roman Reigns winning the WWE World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania made his next feud impossible from a babyface standpoint. There was no way most fans were going to cheer him, regardless of his opponent. The fact that next rival turned out to be the immensely popular AJ Styles was therefore inconsequential, people would have booed Reigns even against a hated villain.

Together, Reigns and Styles can reflect on a fine pair of pay-per-view matches. At both Payback and Extreme Rules, they showed good chemistry, and it's nice to state that the latter was even an improvement on their first encounter. AJ Styles needs something worthwhile with which to follow up on his foray into the WWE main event scene.

WWE can turn AJ heel, meaning he would be ideal for a program against Dean Ambrose or perhaps even a returning John Cena or Randy Orton. If he stays babyface, he can still face both men and take a berth in the Money In The Bank Ladder Match to boot.

Whatever the creative team have planned for him, it's important that he isn't pushed aside into something throwaway.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.