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AJ Styles Vs. Roman Reigns Set To Create Two New Main Event WWE Stars

Posted: Apr 5th 2016 By: Blake Oestriecher ,

A. J. Styles lost at WWE WrestleMania 32, but he will now challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens and a returning Cesaro in a Fatal 4-Way No. 1 Contender?s match on Monday Night Raw.

Shocked? You certainly aren?t the only one.

Despite Styles? loss to Jericho at WrestleMania, the WWE has shifted gears and decided to push the former TNA star to the top babyface spot on the roster. You?re probably thinking, but what about Roman Reigns? Isn?t he the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, and by default, the top babyface in the company?

That?s what was expected after Reigns? win over Triple H at WrestleMania 32, but on the same post-Mania Raw show in which Styles picked up the biggest victory of his WWE career, the seeds were planted for Reigns to do what so many fans have wanted him to do for so long: Turn heel.

On Monday?s Raw, the newly crowned champ was smooth and smug, telling the fans in attendance that he wasn?t a good guy or a bad guy, but rather ?the guy.? It was similar to when heel champion Seth Rollins would refer to himself as ?the man,? essentially telling anyone who would listen that he was now the face of the company.

This new version of Reigns is doing the same, and his first feud as WWE Champion will be against Styles, who is taking his spot his spot as the WWE?s top babyface as Reigns seemingly transitions into a heel, or at the very least tweener, role.
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And now, the WWE did what it failed to do at WrestleMania 32: Create two new legitimate main event stars. One is AJ Styles. The other is Roman Reigns.

Reigns, for all he?s accomplished and all the improvements he?s shown, just hasn?t been able to catch on as a top babyface, and perhaps that?s because he?s tailor made to be a heel. His movie star good looks, sly arrogance and brawling style, coupled with the fact that he was handpicked by management to be a top star, have positioned him as the perfect fit for the top heel that the WWE desperately needs.

And there is no better babyface opponent for him than Styles.

Styles, despite being positioned as a midcarder during his WWE run thus far, is the polar opposite of Reigns in every way, from his everyman look to his high-flying in-ring style to the long path he took to make it to the WWE. He?s already catching on with the masses there, too.

During his limited time in WWE, Styles has already proven to be a big merchandise mover, with his trademarked personalized gloves quickly selling out, something we?re bound to see more of as he?s pushed to the main event. Styles has also shown to rank among the company?s most popular stars. In a recent marketability study, Styles ranked near John Cena, The Undertaker and other top-tier WWE stars as one of the most popular and most likable stars in the company.

That was before he put on a clinic at WrestleMania and before he pulled off a huge shocker by becoming the No. 1 contender on Raw in what can only be described as a true ?feel good? moment. Now, that he?s positioned as the top face opposite Reigns, who looks to be turning heel, the WWE has found not one but two stars, with Styles playing the likable hero to Reigns? egotistical villain.

In that same marketability study, Reigns proved to be one of the WWE?s most popular stars as well, and oddly enough, his overall popularity is only going to increase if and when he drops the good guy shtick and gains the approval of that 18-40 male demographic that has been begging him to turn heel for so long. At the same time, a heel turn from Reigns is the closest thing we?ll get to that coveted John Cena heel turn, which will result in the group that loves him so much (think women and children) despising him just like they should loathe a true top heel.

With the WWE missing the boat on establishing Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 32 (why did he lose so emphatically to Brock Lesnar?) and lacking a true top heel (there wasn?t even a legitimate heel in any of the three ?Mania main events), the creative team took two huge steps in the right direction on Raw.