WWE Royal Rumble 2018: 7 Reasons To Be Fearful

7. The WWE Title Is An Afterthought

AJ Styles WWE Champion SmackDown
WWE

Now that he's free of Jinder Mahal, AJ Styles should be tearing down the house every week in stellar matches that showcase why he deserves to be WWE Champion. There isn't a better candidate on SmackDown to hold the title, and despite Kevin Owens looking like a solid choice to challenge at the Rumble on the surface, Styles has been left looking like an afterthought.

The story of KO vying to become WWE Champ isn't helped by a lack of logic. Why would Shane McMahon, a mortal enemy of Owens, let him try to become the most powerful titleholder on a brand he runs? The Daniel Bryan excuse is a poor one too; don't forget that Shane is Bryan's boss. There are plot holes all over the place.

Owens and AJ will have a good match, there's no denying that. Still, solidifying Styles as a top champion in WWE should have been paramount to creative at the turn of this year, not least because AJ lost to Brock Lesnar (the other top champ) at Survivor Series. Due to that loss, he really needed to start 2018 hot.

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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.