Views From The Turnbuckle: Extreme Rules Preview, Is It The End Of AJ Styles In The Main Event?

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Following in the wake of a successful Payback show, Extreme Rules features mainly return matches from the previous show, as WWE looks to set up their major summer storylines. With the return of John Cena, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton set to come back into the company, it will be interesting to see who WWE decides to keep in the limelight and who will be replaced by the returning major stars.

At the top of the card is the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between Roman Reigns and AJ Styles, in the eponymous Extreme Rules match. When Roman Reigns won the world title to a chorus of boos at WrestleMania, WWE really needed to have some brilliant booking to salvage Reigns’ title run and avoid it being a total disaster. To their credit, they have mostly done it with the introduction of Anderson and Gallows into the company and the genius of AJ Styles inside the ring.

The current storyline, of Anderson and Gallows supportive of Styles to the point that they will get physically involved in his matches, and Styles reluctance to take advantage of his friends’ interference. What I like about the storyline is that Styles doesn’t come across as an idiot, he isn’t completely blindsided by Anderson and Gallows interfering in his matches and he doesn’t really yell at them for doing so. He hasn’t endorsed their actions—yet he is frequently thankful for their support and friendship. Styles ended up using a steel chair to take out Reigns, but he only did that after Reigns had used a chair on him during a previous encounter. That kind of booking can get some heat on Styles, but it avoids turning him heel, which is crucial for the success of the feud.

Styles is way too popular with fans to justify a heel turn, he gets probably the biggest pop of the night at every RAW with the possible exception of Shane McMahon. In addition, his popularity and the popularity of Anderson and Gallows, had aided Reigns in his quest to be a long-term world champion because the fans genuinely support Styles. I think part of the reason Reigns was booed so viciously around WrestleMania time was because the hardcore fans didn’t really like Triple H as much as they despised Reigns. With Styles, the hardcore fans who generally would be against Reigns are supporting Styles, which keeps them more engaged in the feud because they support someone, not because they are disgusted with someone.

WWE seems committed to making Reigns a long-term champion, …

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