Since his debut in 2016, AJ Styles has been one of the most consistently featured talents on WWE programming, with United States, Tag Team, Intercontinental and WWE Championship reigns in his résumé. Within the last year, Styles has transitioned into the tag team division alongside Omos. Whilst this was initially a welcome change and something new for Styles to pursue in WWE, his star power has been put into question recently, with his time as a main eventer potentially being a thing of the past.

AJ Styles Became One Of WWE’s Top Stars

Prior to his shocking entrance into the Royal Rumble in 2016, Styles was initially thought to have a ceiling of a midcard talent by Vince McMahon. However, due to his undeniable talents and huge popularity, WWE had no choice but to push him as a top star. In the brand split of that same year, Styles was the number one guy on Smackdown, carrying the brand through months of great TV as the WWE Champion, showcasing his charisma as a heel.

AJ Styles WWE Champion 2nd Reign Cropped

He has shared the ring with the likes of John Cena, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins, main eventing shows with two WWE Title reigns to his name. He stands out as somebody who made a name for himself outside of WWE, in TNA and NJPW, and carried his standing as the world’s best into WWE, breaking down several barriers in which stars from outside the company don't tend to fair well. His Wrestlemania matches are clear proof of the trust and respect the company have put on his name, with matches against Chris Jericho, Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, and even having the honor of being The Undertaker’s final ever opponent.

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All these accomplishments and opportunities were earned, and he has been such a pivotal part of WWE TV for the last five years. However, right now his stock may be the lowest it has ever been since perhaps way back in his early TNA days.

The Partnership Between Styles And Omos Is Just To Put The Big Man Over

Styles isn’t a young competitor at forty-four years old, yet he remains one of the top in-ring talents today. Whilst it's true that WWE should focus on younger talents, making the best use of the existing veterans they have at their exposal should be a priority too, especially when it's someone who is at the caliber of Styles.

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The fall of 2020 saw him embark on a new direction, being backed by a huge, seven-foot 3 inches tall giant in Omos, who acted as a heavy and bodyguard for Styles. However, he didn’t find much success from this. Despite constant interference, Styles would lose big matches such as a WWE Championship match at TLC and come up short in the Royal Rumble. Instead of singles pursuits, Styles and Omos turned their attention towards the Raw Tag Team Championships.

AJ Styles and Omos WWE

The build with The New Day was decent enough, and the match at Wrestlemania made Omos feel like a star. It slowly became clear that Styles was being used as a tool to simply elevate Omos as one of the next big things in WWE. In their matches, Styles has acted as a punching bag, only for his partner to save him and gain the victories.

Styles Has Experienced A Fall From Grace

Styles certainly holds a lot of name value, but his venture into the tag team division has been a step down. This is largely due to WWE’s lack of structure or care when it comes to tag team wrestling, as it isn’t seen as a draw from the higher-ups in the company. This unfortunately resulted in Styles being included in the poor tag team tropes within the company.

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Over the last year, Styles has suffered some of the worst, most disrespectful losses in his entire career. For example, he was beaten by Xavier Woods in one minute and twenty seconds, beaten by Jaxson Ryker in just over two minutes, and beaten by Ivar in just over three. This is AJ Styles, who is a Grand Slam Champion in WWE, a certified Hall of Famer, and one of the top names in wrestling history, yet he is being beaten with ease by wrestlers who were barely singles competitors.

AJ Styles vs Jaxson Ryker Xavier Woods WWE Raw

Styles has fallen victim to the tired tropes which are involved in WWE’s tag team booking, with 50/50 booking and quick singles matches used to build feuds. With these embarrassing losses, Styles feels like an afterthought on WWE’s roster, especially when all the emphasis is placed on Omos. At a time where the roster is thin on both shows, someone like Styles would be a perfect opponent for Big E or Roman Reigns, or even in the upper mid-card against Edge or Drew McIntyre, but he is stuck in limbo with no direction. If Styles were to be placed back in that position, he would likely take it in his stride, with fans getting back on his side, but right now he is far from a main event talent, and finally feels like the midcarder Vince McMahon thought he would be.