AJ Styles finally won the United States Championship off of Ricochet at Extreme Rules, but who could he face at WWE SummerSlam 2019 with The Club firmly in his corner?
New life has been breathed into AJ Styles since he attacked Ricochet and aligned himself with The Club, bringing back the faction that dominated headlines during the summer of 2016. At WWE SummerSlam 2019, Styles will likely defend the United States Championship, and he’ll have a serious numbers advantage with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson by his side.
Styles defeated Ricochet at Extreme Rules to win the United States Title for the third time in his career. He was pushed to his limit by The One and Only, who nearly had the match won off of a Shooting Star Press before Anderson showed the ref that Styles’s foot was under the rope.
There are a number of opponents Styles could have a killer United States Title match with at SummerSlam this year, but let’s just take a look at three possible match-ups for The Phenomenal One as he looks to have a lengthy heel run with a mid-card title in desperate need of further rom a main event player. Ricochet rehabilitate the title’s value, but it’s time for Styles to take it to the next level.
Cedric Alexander
The Ricochet vs. AJ Styles feud did wonders for the recent NXT call-up and 2019 breakout star, even if The Phenomenal One ended up ultimately prevailing at the Extreme Rules Pay-Per-View. Cedric Alexander could receive a similar boost from working with Styles, and he might be an even better fit for Styles due to the psychology of his matches.
Alexander became a fan favorite at the Cruiserweight Classic and only increased his popularity with a breakout 2018. He was one of WWE’s best superstars, winning the Cruiserweight Title for the first time in his career in the finals of a tournament at WrestleMania 34, and he had a memorable run with the title, including a stellar series of matches with fellow main roster call-up Buddy Murphy.
While Alexander would almost certainly lose, he could really give Styles something to worry about. It’d also be fantastic to see Alexander get his name on the SummerSlam card in a title match so soon in his main roster career.
Like Ricochet, Alexander has a world of potential, and going head-to-head with one of the top five male wrestlers in the world would help show the broader audience why Alexander was such a beloved superstar in WWE’s Purple Brand.
Braun Strowman
While it would be strange to see Braun Strowman in the mid-card picture, he and AJ Styles have never feuded before. This could be a creative rivalry that stretches the imaginations of Styles, whose selling ability could be showcased in this feud. The numbers advantage that Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson provide can both help protect Braun and aid Styles in maintaining control of the United States Championship.
Strowman is riding a huge wave of momentum after Extreme Rules, as he defeated Bobby Lashley in an absolutely insane Last Man Standing match. To get the win and hold Lashley down for the 10 count, Strowman powerslammed Lashley from a good several feet above ground level.
At his best when he’s just wrecking everything around him, Strowman feels like a major player in WWE again after Vince McMahon’s haphazard booking derailed his momentum when he was at his hottest. Strowman has his limitations, yes, but it would be exciting to see him battle it out with a heel Styles, who is one of wrestling’s best pure in-ring performers of all-time.
It wouldn’t even be out of the question for Braun to pick up a title victory, though it would technically be an upset given Styles’s likelihood of a long reign and the presence of Anderson and Gallows. Plus, you never know if Strowman’s former friend Finn Balor decides to help Styles for good measure…
The Miz
We’ve seen The Miz and AJ Styles tease rivalries in the past in promos, except The A-Lister was the heel and Styles was the babyface. Miz has been amazing as a babyface in 2019, as he made that feud with Shane McMahon work perfectly in the lead up to WrestleMania 35. But then Shane got an ego trip after the fluke victory at The Show of Shows, and everything went off the rails.
Miz vs. Styles could be a classic feud for the United States Championship, and Miz knows a thing or two about making a mid-card title feel special. I think the in-ring quality of these matches would be excellent from a story-telling and psychology standpoint, because these two superstars pay so close attention to all the finer details in weaving a narrative structure into a match,
And the promos? My goodness. Just imagine The Miz insulting Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, who do their best to keep up with Miz on the mic. Styles is a good heel promo, but he would be outmatched against Miz on the stick. That could lead to some funny moments, as an exasperated Styles tries his best to brush away Miz’s biting insults.
There aren’t many babyfaces who can tell a unique story with a heel “Club” faction and Styles as champion, but Miz, as usual, can stake his claim to being a noteworthy exception.