5 Reasons Why AJ Styles is About to Be the Face of WWE

Not long after AJ Styles first graced a WWE ring, the magnificent son of a bitch writing this article predicted that the phenomenal one would win be WWE Championship before Wrestlemania 33. Since my glorious prediction, which you can find here, Styles has ascended the WWE ranks like king Kong climbing the empire state building.

AJ Styles is on the cusp of becoming WWE champion. If not at Backlash, soon. You may all bow down to my powers of precognition, but it’s not enough. Like the Nostradamus of pro wrestling, it is time for me to make another prediction. See, not only will AJ Styles be world champion, he’ll also be the face of the entire company. Here’s why.

1. Vince McMahon loves him

The patronage of Vincent Kennedy McMahon can be a fickle thing. Just ask Bad News Brown, Lex Luger and Roman Reigns. Thing is, AJ Styles ranks alongside Eddie Guerrero and Dynamite Kid as one of the best to ever don ring gear.

With Vince onside, AJ has been granted the keys to the WWE’s main event. Not everyone gets a nod from old grapefruit balls himself and it’s held back many a championship calibre talent. Luckily, the wrestling dirt sheets say Vince is so high on AJ he wishes he’d signed him years ago. Now you try managing that in a matter of months.

2. He beat (up) John Cena

Who the hell beats John Cena? And since when does anyone beat John Cena clean? He’s the franchise. The face that runs the place. As passings of the torch go, this one is probably only temporary, but for now Styles is officially carrying Cena’s mantle.

Sure, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens might be headlining Monday Night Raw, but the casual fans still tune in for Cena. Fans around the world saw the moment Cena came up short against Styles at Summerslam and they know how rarely that happens. Right now those fans are watching Aj Styles, the man who vanquished their hero.

3. WWE don’t have their next face ready

The new era is here, that’s not in doubt. Its stars are stepping up and carrying the WWE main event scene, even if the booking is still patchy in places. There’s one thing missing though and it’s a vital ingredient in the way WWE do business: the top babyface.

Think Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Steve Austin and John Cena. WWE has always been a company built around a single heroic star. It turned Vince’s North western promotion into the biggest wrestling company in the world. Fans might not always care about heel and face distinctions these days, but WWE is old fashioned that way.

Perhaps Finn Balor was set to be the hero before his injury, and maybe he still will. Seth Rollins, the true heir to Shawn Michaels, would own the role at a moment’s notice. One thing is certain though; the company don’t have their ducks in a line right now, and probably won’t until at least Wrestlemania 33. That’s fine though, because AJ Styles is ready to go.

Like Ric Flair in 1992, Styles can be the big name heel who carries the company until it finds its next franchise player.

4. He’s going to be the next WWE champion

It might not be at Backlash, or even No Mercy, but AJ Styles will beat Dean Ambrose to win the world title. Since Summerslam, Ambrose has looked a little directionless. He’s sounded kind of goofy, lacking in the intensity that carried him to his title win. Perhaps he’s just more compelling chasing the belt than carrying it.

Styles might not have been with the company as long, but the guy knows how championships are held. Whether it’s at TNA or as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, the Phenomenal One has the ability to look natural carrying the gold. When was the last time we had a WWE champion you could say that about?

5. He’s the best thing going right now

Styles is crushing it in WWE these days. He’s one of the five best ring workers in the world and his stints in NJPW and the Bullet Club have give him a mystique he never had in TNA. Somewhere along the way, he’s also become phenomenal on the mic, too.

Putting Styles with the Club was the smartest ting WWE creative could have done for him, whether they knew it or not. Styles is doing the best heel work around at the moment, with the possible exception of his Bullet club successor Kenny Omega. At Backlash don’t be surprised if he walks out as the champion, putting the company on his back.