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Fantasy Booking: Shield Triple Threat for Wrestlemania (Part: 2)

AJ Styles and Roman Reigns show mutual respect
AJ Styles and Roman Reigns show mutual respect

If you haven't already, go check Part 1 here first.

Build to Survivor Series

With Strowman and Lesnar in his rear-view mirror, Reigns shifts his focus to his next PPV opponent, the WWE Champion AJ Styles. He acknowledges how facing Styles a few years ago propelled Reigns to the elite and how this match will finally determine who the bigger champion is. He invites Styles to RAW the following week in a display of sportsman spirit to promote their upcoming clash. Upon Styles' return to RAW, Reigns welcomes him and they have a respectful exchange or words. This brings out Ambrose who clears that he doesn't buy anything Styles has been saying and blames his Smackdown Live success on under-handed tactics and manipulation, similar to what he did with Ambrose to win his first world championship.

Dean Ambrose face to face with AJ Styles
Dean Ambrose face to face with AJ Styles

In an unhinged manner, he goes up to Styles and pushes his face back, causing Styles to lose it and take Ambrose down. They start brawling in the ring while Reigns stands there confused. In an attempt to stop this, Reigns pulls Styles off Ambrose, giving Ambrose enough room to hit Styles with a stiff punch to the face.

Reigns drops Styles aside and pushes Ambrose with enough power to make him fall. Before Ambrose could think or do anything about it, Styles recovers and attacks Reigns from behind believing that this is a planned beatdown.

Ambrose quickly gets up and attacks Styles himself, only to get pushed aside by Reigns who also then starts attacking Styles out of anger.

Rollins, who was last seen successfully defending his IC title earlier in the night, runs out and drags Reigns and Ambrose to a ring corner each and quickly talks them out of the rage.

He stands in the middle of the ring, right beside the helpless body of Styles and helps him get up. Styles, who has no idea of what's going on, hits Rollins with a Pele kick, only to get attacked by Ambrose again while Reigns goes to check on Rollins.

This triggers Finn Balor of all the people to run into Styles' rescue. He immediately cleans up the house with sling blades and corner running dropkicks to each member of the Shield. He proceeds to stand tall in Styles' corner while the episode goes off air.

Balor running wild
Balor running wild

Next night, Smackdown Live opens with Paige announcing an interim addition to her roster, Finn Balor. He explains what elicited his run-in the other night and invites Styles to join him.

They reform The Club with their 'too sweet' pose and promise to unleash hell onto the Shield for what they planned and confirm that the Survivor series match will now be a 3-on-3 tag match, but they don't disclose their third partner's name for the time being.

Styles and Balor pose
Styles and Balor pose "too sweet"

A few weeks in, Seth Rollins pays Smackdown Live a visit to act as a mediator and calls out AJ Styles for a talk. The WWE Champ turns the tides when he makes Rollins realise how he's been nothing more than a glorified henchman for Roman on RAW.

He mentions how it was only Roman getting opportunity after opportunity at the universal title and Brock Lesnar when the fans clearly wanted Rollins to be the man.

He further mentions how there's an agenda to keep Rollins on a certain level or RAW and not let him break through that glass ceiling but there's a ready-made dream main event match just waiting for Rollins on Smackdown Live and that is against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship.

Styles and Rollins show mutual respect.
Styles and Rollins show mutual respect.

Manipulations and verbal wars stay the focal point of the feud heading up to the Survivor Series match until Balor announces the third member of the Club on the go-home edition of Smackdown Live, Adam Cole baybay!

Adam Cole
Adam Cole

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