WWE WrestleMania 33: Pros and Cons of AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon

Rob Wolkenbrod

The somewhat-controversial AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon match at WrestleMania 33 has its fair share of negatives, but can’t be completely thrown out the window.

AJ Styles is coming off multiple attempts at getting a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 33. It started with the Elimination Chamber match, which he lost as the runner-up to Bray Wyatt. However, with a rematch still there from his John Cena loss, there seemed to be some hope. That was until Wyatt pinned Cena in a triple threat match.

Again, all hope wasn’t lost for Styles, who tied with Luke Harper in a battle royal to determine Wyatt’s WrestleMania 33 opponent. The Phenomenal One even won a singles match against Harper to seemingly claim his spot, until Randy Orton decided to appear at the end of SmackDown and want his title shot back. This led to Orton, who’s also the 2017 Royal Rumble winner, defeating Styles to earn his match with Wyatt.

For a few months, the Wrestling Observer had noted Styles vs. Shane McMahon was the plan for WrestleMania 33. So for those who followed these reports, this may have been in the back of your mind.

Well, after Styles lost to Orton on SmackDown, the first seeds were planted for a WrestleMania 33 match with the Leader of the Show. This saw an angry Superstar that just got pinned take out his frustrations on McMahon, lashing out for still being deserved his WrestleMania main event spot. Styles had teased for a few weeks that he was unhappy with management, but never went too far.

Must Read: WM 33 Card Projections 8.0 After Fastlane

So potentially the No. 2 match from SmackDown at WrestleMania 33 will see AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon. Some will love it, while others won’t. There are fair arguments to be made on both sides, just like every other match that will be seen at the show.

Let’s break down the pros and cons of the potential Styles vs. McMahon, which should see plenty of build for the next three weeks.

WWE.com

Pro: AJ Styles Having a Bad Match at WrestleMania? Come on

If you’ve followed AJ Styles since his WWE debut in 2016, he’s wrestled some of the company’s best matches. His three-match series with John Cena turned heads, including at the 2017 Royal Rumble. Even with fans thinking Roman Reigns “can’t wrestle,” these two put on two terrific showings at Extreme Rules and Payback 2016.

Here’s the issue — Shane McMahon is potentially at the bottom of opponents Styles has faced in marquee spots. He’s known for the “OMG” moments, like the Hell in a Cell jump at WrestleMania 32. Who’s to say the Phenomenal One can’t get something out of the SmackDown Commissioner, though?

McMahon’s match with an early 50’s Undertaker was slow and lethargic, having the Hell in a Cell jump as the biggest spot. It was also Shane’s first match in seven years. While he’s not going to carry a match, maybe with a year of getting back in shape and having already stepped into the ring twice, he can be led through a 15-minute singles contest.

The majority of the match can see Styles just beat down Shane, who will get a few bursts of moment. He can even counter a move at ringside and set up some wacky stunt that will have Mauro Ranallo screaming “Mamma Mia! Pizzeria!”

So maybe we’ll get a better-than-expected match out of Styles vs. McMahon at WrestleMania 33. It’s not like it can’t work, even with its flaws.

WWE.com

Con: Difficult for Shane McMahon to Be Believable Opponent

AJ Styles can always get a great match out of Shane McMahon. He can even get one out of James Ellsworth if they were to try. Does it make the Prodigal Son believable, though?

Athleticism and courage — yes, courage — have been the two biggest parts of Shane’s game. He can leap across the ring, climb to the top of the world and drop a thunderous elbow.

COAST-TO-COAST!!! #WrestleMania #HellInACell @shaneMcMahon pic.twitter.com/TT9LdGc14L
— WWE (@WWE) April 4, 2016

However, that’s kind of it.

If you watch McMahon try to get in offense, it’s hard to watch. Specifically, his punches are far from believable and look like someone trying to train for their first day of boxing school. They have drawn ire from wrestling fans since his full-time in-ring days during the early 2000’s.

If we’re comparing wrestling ability, then Styles beats him in everything except the “OMG” entertainment moments. Shane would probably have to win dirty to outdo his opponent’s technical and innovative abilities, if WWE is looking for believability. That could always be in the cards, but with the way SmackDown’s authority roles have looked since the brand split, why hint toward a heel turn?

Maybe McMahon will defy the punching expectations and turn out something better. With tape that spans almost 20 years, though, there’s no sign of that changing.

WWE.com

Pro: An Avenue to the Main Event Scene for AJ Styles

WrestleMania 33 could be a blessing in disguise for AJ Styles. That seems difficult to believe at the forefront, but if he’s a guarantee to win, then there should be big things coming for him on April 4.

WrestleMania 32 saw Styles lose to Chris Jericho, just as everyone thought it would be the opposite. The New Kid on the Block is getting his first match at the Show of Shows, while Y2J was predicted to be leaving WWE afterward, so a win had to be in store, right?

Well, after all the backlash WWE received for having Styles lose, they reversed his fortunes one night later by winning a No. 1 Contender’s match for the WWE Championship on Raw. It closed the red-hot show on a high note and made him a main event star, which has been the case ever since.

At WrestleMaia 33, Styles is arguably a guarantee to win, unless there’s an added stipulation that puts things into a different perspective. There’s more to gain for a full-time star like him being victorious instead of someone who’s going to drift back into the Commissioner role. If so, it should be able to slot him back into the main event scene.

It doesn’t matter of it’s Bray Wyatt or Randy Orton leaving WrestleMania 33 as champion — either would be a refreshing feud for Styles. Sure, he just faced Orton in a great match on SmackDown, but we haven’t seen the avenue that these two could go down in an extended showing. We also saw glimpses of what could be done with Wyatt at Elimination Chamber and in that triple threat on the SmackDown after the show too.

The only threat for Styles is Luke Harper, who has a ready-made feud with Wyatt after WrestleMania. That’s if he doesn’t look to realign, drifts into the mid-card or land in the tag team scene with Erick Rowan. John Cena may go on another hiatus, taking him out of the equation.

So for those thinking this feud has no end game for Styles, look closer at the situation. He could very well be back in the WWE Championship picture on April 4 and carry the Blue Brand into the summer.

Credit: WWE.com

Con: There Were Better Options

Once upon a time, “dream matches” were being created for AJ Styles. However you may feel about these Superstars — Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and John Cena — all were big names for him to feud with in Year One, including the Face That Runs the Place, which put him over the top at SummerSlam.

With Shane McMahon, he’s a name, sure. If you were looking for the technical showcase that steals the show, then you’re probably not going to get it here. There were better options out there if you wanted to reconfigure the WrestleMania 33 match card.