WWE TLC: What next for Styles and Ambrose?

Barnaby Read 18:56 05/12/2016
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  • The feud has been a memorable one so far.

    First of all, plaudits must go to AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose for serving up an absolute classic for the World Heavyweight title at Tables, Ladders, Chairs.

    From start to finish it was a stirring contest, filled with superb storytelling and that beautiful mixture of madcap brutality.

    Even the interference run by James Ellsworth added to the spectacle and ended up giving the outcome a shock to the system that can only further all competitors.

    Ambrose didn’t lose any of his standing in defeat, Styles secured a huge win and Ellsworth turned heel in a fashion that keeps his novelty act running at full steam.

    But, since July it has solely been Styles and Ambrose going at it for SmackDown Live’s top title [bar the odd three-way with John Cena] and all good things must come to an end some time or another.

    The problem that WWE management has is that the two rivals continue to serve up matches of increasing brilliance, culminating in this latest example of wrestling artistry.

    One option for the company is to maintain the Styles-Ambrose rivalry until it runs out of gas but the risk is huge.

    Consider the WWE Universe growing tired of the pair’s constant butting of heads and you are in danger of doing it to death and taking away from their superb matchups to date.

    But, for now, it seems that may have to be the case with such little depth to the top-tier of SmackDown Live’s roster.

    Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt would have been most likely to step into the breach but having won the tag-team titles at TLC, that looks unlikely.

    Stablemate Luke Harper could take on reigning champ Styles to inject some new life into the title and that option would certainly open a lot of avenues in the possibility of total Wyatt domination until an Orton turn.

    The other alternative is The Undertaker, who is widely reported to be heading to WrestleMania to face Styles in what has the potential to be an absolute classic.

    ‘Taker is returning full-time to the Blue brand and the Deadman taking on Styles is a tantalising prospect.

    A problem with that is that there is a long way to go until April and a lot of PPVs and episodes of SmackDown to fill in the meantime without the pair actually coming to blows.

    If that were the case then the title would have to be out of the picture, you simply cannot have a champion not fighting.

    In all likelihood, that fight will be delayed and given a run as we head into February, which means the ensuing month or so will see Ambrose and Styles do battle once more.

    Ambrose is due a rematch after Ellsworth’s antics at TLC and having the unlikely Superstar realign himself does, at least, add a new dimension to the Ambrose-Styles storyline.

    One more Styles-Ambrose classic before a showdown between the Phenomenal One and the Phenom is the ideal play, we’ll just have to see whether it comes to fruition or not.

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