Top Rope Report: Why the booking for Styles vs. Reigns is actually brilliant
This just in: The WWE may actually be doing a good job of booking its main event feud heading into a pay-per-view.
Despite some awkwardness between Roman Reigns and AJ Styles on the microphone Monday, the direction WWE’s writers are taking these two is some inspired work.
To recap, they both came into the feud as babyfaces by general booking, with Reigns seemingly leaning toward a heel turn to go along with the boos he gets anyway. Everyone has known that Styles’ former Bulet Club mates Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows were on the way, and they’ve recently debuted by attacking The Usos and then Reigns himself on back-to-back episodes of Monday Night RAW.
Now people were anticipating that the Bullet Club boys’ debut would signal the heel vs. face direction for this feud, but for once, WWE has gone more complex than that. While Anderson and Gallows are acting on Styles’ behalf and the WWE is recognizing their past with Styles, the “Phenomenal One” has denounced their work, claiming he doesn’t need it and didn’t ask for it.
Leaving future options open
While this particular bit of writing has more fully established Styles as a babyface for now, which he was going to be anyway, it has left the door wide open for Reigns to continue operating as a tweener.
If Styles had accepted responsibility for the underhanded attacks, that makes him a heel by storyline, which makes Reigns the face by default. But that would be another awkward turn considering we all know most fans would cheer Styles anyway.
On the flipside, some people were predicting that Anderson and Gallows might shock everyone by teaming up with Reigns. That would certainly have been a surprise and would’ve gotten true heat, it would’ve also solidified Reigns as a full-fledged heel and would have limited his future opponent options.
As is, Reigns can work with nearly anyone on the roster because he “isn’t a good guy and isn’t a bad guy.”