Will the Attack on Vince McMahon Lead AJ Styles to WWE ‘WrestleMania 35’?

AJ Styles took a shot at WWE owner Vince McMahon on the Christmas edition of SmackDown Live. The slap happened after the boss provoked Styles backstage for some reason, leading the Phenomenal One to snap and put Vince on his back.

As fans watched this unfold, two things became perfectly clear. The first is that AJ may, or may not, be turning heel once again. The second is that the McMahon Family is once again inserting itself into a top storyline against a top guy. There are problems in both scenarios and even though WWE is moving forward either way the fact is that fans are being forced to go along for the ride. But is it a ride that anyone cares about?

The main issue here is WrestleMania 35. The Granddaddy of Them All takes place on April 7, 2019. This means that WWE has around three months to plan a course of action for its main event Superstars and that plan should lead them to the Mania stage. This is true for AJ as well. But if the confrontation with Vince is leading to WrestleMania, then that means Shane McMahon could be next.

Shane and Vince have had their share of problems on TV. The entire McMahon clan is usually at war over something of course. That’s just the way it is. But it’s hard to imagine that Shane will turn a blind eye to what happened between his father and the former WWE champion. The only problem here is that the majority of fans likely do not want a repeat of WrestleMania 33.

Watch Styles and McMahon backstage:

AJ Styles attacks Mr. McMahon: SmackDown LIVE, Dec. 25, 2018

The idea of Shane versus AJ for WrestleMania 33 was not one that fans anticipated. When they actually got it, no one really wanted it. Styles did his part of course, because that’s what a professional does. He made Shane look as good as possible, which is all he could do. But Shane’s deficiencies in the ring were apparent, just as they are every time he steps between the ropes.

Not even a future Hall of Famer can change that. If AJ is booked against Shane in 2019, nothing will be different. Styles will once again be forced to carry a 48-year old non-wrestler. But this is what the McMahon Family does. Fans should be used to it.

The family is booked as the true top stars of the company. This is the way it’s been since the end of The Attitude Era and WWE is likely not changing the status quo anytime soon. The championships go to the talent but everything else goes to the McMahons. But WWE is their company so in the end, what can fans do but complain about it?

Watch AJ’s greatest moments in WWE:

AJ Styles' greatest moments: WWE Top 10, Jan. 6, 2018

It’s illogical to run the main storylines in this fashion. But then again, it always has been. In today’s WWE, fans should expect more and oftentimes that is indeed the case. After all, why stack the locker room full of the industry’s biggest names, only to continue featuring the family as the primary source of top storylines? WWE has amassed an extremely impressive collection of pro wrestling stars, many of whom could main event for any company in the world. 

But AJ Styles probably is not on a collision course with any of them because he now has heat with the McMahon Family. So if Shane McMahon is not the one to step up, then who? Vince is 73-years old. Randy Orton’s days of doing The Authority’s bidding are over. Vince could throw any heel he wants at AJ. But if anyone from that side is going to step up against Styles, it’s probably The Game.

Triple H versus AJ Styles is a dream match that many fans likely believed they would never see. But now WWE is one step closer to making that match a reality. Will Triple H sit idly by as his father-in-law is struck down on national television? Will Hunter keep his distance and allow Vince to figure it out for himself? After all, Vince is the one that spurred all of this on. He’s the reason why AJ snapped.

If any member of the McMahon family is going heel, it’s either Vince or Stephanie. They all seem to be on the same page right now of course, but that will likely not last long. The McMahon Family is highly dysfunctional, that much is true. But part of the drama surrounding them is their unpredictability. It’s reasonable to assume that The King of Kings could be the one to confront AJ Styles and begin a war with him over the new couple of months.

Watch AJ talk about Vince’s expectations of him in WWE:

AJ Styles reveals Vince McMahon's expectations of him (Featuring "Natural" by Imagine Dragons)

But what if he doesn’t? What if this is truly a heel turn for AJ? WWE is overly fascinated with shocking turns. Indeed, 2018 could be called “the year of the heel” in Vince McMahon’s company. Styles doesn’t really have a reason to turn of course, but that probably would not prevent WWE from moving forward with him as SmackDown’s newest antagonist.

The fact is that AJ Styles has been in WWE for nearly three years. During that time, he’s faced every top star available. John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Dean Ambrose, Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe have all worked AJ Styles. Only a handful of viable opponents remain for AJ on the WrestleMania stage. 

So will AJ’s actions on Christmas Day lead to a major showdown with one of those names? Could Triple H, Shawn Michales, The Undertaker, or even The Rock be the next man to fight The Phenomenal One? Despite what happens, WWE fans are surely hoping that this storyline will lead to something big for Styles. Just another heel turn is definitely not what the WWE faithful is looking for. Whether or not that is what WWE will deliver, remains to be seen.

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live