5 Dream opponents for AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble 2017
AJ Styles has had one of the best debut years in WWE history and it will come full circles at the 2017 Royal Rumble. Styles has proved all of his doubters wrong, ascending from the upper-midcard to becoming the face of WWE SmackDown Live and winning the coveted WWE Word Championship.
Many, including myself, never thought that we’d get the chance to see Styles compete inside a WWE ring let alone become a WWE World Champion and one of the top stars in the company. Styles has taken to the WWE like a fish takes to water and has definitively proven himself to be one of the top performers in the world today, even at the age of 39.
Styles beat Dean Ambrose at WWE Backlash earlier this September and has since then cemented himself as SmackDown Live’s top star, especially in the absence of John Cena. With TLC now over, AJ Styles needs an opponent for the Royal Rumble and in this article, we take a look at 5 dream opponents for him at the January PPV.
5: The Miz
The Miz has always been gold on the mic and one of the most genuinely hated heels in the WWE. He has always had a penchant for getting visceral reactions from the WWE Universe and in 2016, he took his game to a entirely new level – both on the mic and inside the ring.
Miz won the Intercontinental Championship from WWE resident ‘bro’ Zack Ryder on the night after Wrestlemania 32 and has since raised his game with his wife Maryse by his side. He’s held onto the championship for a large part of 2016, briefly losing it to Dolph Ziggler for a few weeks in-between, and his rivalry with SmackDown Live GM Daniel Bryan has captivated WWE fans.
With the Miz hitting new heights in his career, the Royal Rumble could be a great opportunity to give Miz another shot at being a headliner with a champion vs champion match at Royal Rumble against AJ Styles. It could also be a great opportunity to turn Styles babyface again.