The biggest detriment to this lengthy AJ Styles WWE Championship run have been his opponents. While I love AJ Styles as WWE Champion, he’s been the WWE Champion for nearly one year at 296+ days as of this writing.

If Samoa Joe doesn’t defeat Styles at Hell in a Cell or Super Showdown for the WWE Championship, he could quickly fall down the card to the United States Championship picture…where Shinsuke Nakamura comfortably resides at the top of.

There is absolutely nothing negative about becoming the United States Champion. In the case of Nakamura, he may NEVER get that close to the WWE Championship again. It’s no secret that New Japan Pro Wrestling would welcome Shinsuke Nakamura back to the promotion with open arms.

Many of us were pumped to see a Japanese WWE Champion. And while it could still happen for Nakamura, the odds have significantly decreased after his series of losses to AJ Styles.

I’m confident that this won’t happen to Samoa Joe. 

Again, not that there’s ANYTHING wrong with being United States Champion, but Samoa Joe NEEDS to defeat AJ Styles during this run of matches. He needs to be elevated to the elite club of WWE Champions before he ends up the next Shinsuke Nakamura, headlining the top mid-card feuds.

Even if the two career long rivals trade the championship like The Rock & Mick Foley, it would keep the fans intrigued by the next level matches that they provide with interesting title changes.

Imagine an “I QUIT” Match where AJ won’t quit with his wife & daughter at ringside? It would play right into the angle. This could be where he loses…or REGAINS the championship. Either way.

The time is now to make Samoa Joe the WWE Champion. His microphone skills have earned him a run with the company’s top prize. He’s got it on the microphone.

And he’s over! It’s simple. Pull the proverbial trigger, WWE.

I’m also worried we may get one of those “moral victories” for Samoa Joe with a series of amazing matches against Styles without a win. There is NOTHING WORSE than that for a competitor on the brink of WWE immortality.

I truly believe AJ Styles could be a great candidate to win the WWE Royal Rumble as well. He’s clearly the WWE’s most consistent wrestler at the top of the card for years. If the title is taken off of AJ, it clears the way for a “Road to WrestleMania” story for THE FACE THAT RUNS THE PLACE.

In the grand scheme of things, Joe will be fine…win or lose. And he will likely be WWE Champion someday regardless of a victory over Styles at Hell in a Cell or Super Showdown.

Jay Alletto

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