AJ Styles is set for one of the biggest matches of his career when he takes on John Cena at Money in the Bank.
The "Phenomenal One" turned heel last week on "Monday Night RAW" as he and The Club beat down the "Cenation" leader upon his return. Now, Cena and Styles will clash in what many describe as a dream match at Money in the Bank.
There is no other way around it. Styles must emerge victorious from this bout.
If the WWE wants to establish Styles as one of the top heels in the company, it can't risk having him lose all of his momentum by falling to Cena in his first big match as a villain. Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows haven't fared very well in high-profile programs, but if they're to be seen as a legitimate threat, Styles must get the win on June 19.
Sure, Cena was sidelined for a very long time and the WWE is likely tempted to bring Super Cena back by having him overcome both Gallows and Anderson en route to toppling Styles.
As seen during his dismantling of The Nexus, making Cena unstoppable against a stable isn't always the best route to go.
Cena certainly deserves all the accolades he's received as he's become one of the best in-ring workers the WWE has -- as evidenced by his U.S. Championship open challenges -- even if his character remains very stale. A Cena heel turn likely would have been more ideal, but the WWE will never pull the trigger on that with its face of the franchise.
Not only does Styles need this win at Money in the Bank to help his new edgy character get over, he also needs it to halt his early WWE run from being a total bust.
The former TNA Heavyweight Champion may have gotten the better of Chris Jericho overall in their feud, but one can't forget that "Y2J" got the win over his counterpart where the lights burn brightest and the stage is biggest -- WrestleMania 32.
Styles then lost both of his WWE World Heavyweight Championship matches against Roman Reigns at Payback and Extreme Rules, so he's currently on a three pay-per-view/WWE Network special losing streak.
Cena and Styles are likely to have a lengthy feud, unless it's disrupted by the upcoming brand extension, so a win for the "Phenomenal One" in the early stages could do wonders for him, much like Kevin Owens when he toppled Cena last year at the Elimination Chamber event.
