The following night on Raw was once again more of the same. Roman Reigns & The Usos teamed up to face AJ Styles & friends. Styles won this time, but you once again had no heel turns or debuts. Styles is still being conflicted about embracing being a heel. He didn't want to attack Reigns with a chair. There was a brawl and some table action to help sell their match at Extreme Rules.
The fact that the feud is going on still is not surprising or something to complain about. What is a little disappointing is that the WWE did not really further the storyline at Payback. It was the same thing you were getting prior to Payback. It was the same thing you were getting on Raw last night. This will eventually go somewhere, but I feel they are just dragging it on. I do feel they could have developed this feud better to get more out of it between Wrestlemania and Payback, but I would still say they did enough to make the overall point that Anderson and Gallows are trying to be on AJ's side against Roman Reigns, but Styles is not willing to fully become evil.
There is something to be said for solid storyline development. That is important. But you also have to entertain. The entertainment value of this story rests mainly in whatever swerve the WWE is going to pull. If they don't pull any swerve at all, this whole thing falls flat. Will it be a heel turn? Debut? Whatever it is,wrestling fans were anticipating it even before Payback. The WWE didn't give them anything to get worked up for. I also think this is important in intriguing the wider audience. It will help to create some real buzz that should benefit the guys involved. Right now, the buzz isn't there as much as it could be.
Just look at this storyline for a moment and think about one of the simplest ways it can go. AJ Styles is not fully on the same side as his two friends. He's face, while they are clear heels. What if the WWE has Anderson and Gallows accidentally cost AJ the title match at Extreme Rules? AJ tells his friends to go their own way. He doesn't turn on them. He tries to be respectable about it. Anderson and Gallows get upset about Styles not wanting their help and attack him. Obviously, it is a 2-on-1 fight, so AJ needs a friend. It will probably be Roman Reigns. Or a debut. Either way, it is a linear storyline. No big swerves. And it would be flat.
Why did I bring that scenario up? Because it is the kind of story you had with Mickie James vs. Trish Stratus. Mickie James was the psychotic fan of Trish Stratus. She became a little too pushy and was starting to irritate Trish. Trish tried to be respectable and just have them go their separate ways. Mickie was the one that turned on Trish. She turned heel. The rest is history that no one ever talks about. Mickie James became the most over credible jobber the diva era ever had. And I frequently praise this storyline as the best pure women's storyline the diva division ever had.
This was a pretty linear storyline. It did not have any big swerves and it did not need any big swerves. It involved the debut of Beth Phoenix. In terms of the storyline, it was no huge thing fans were looking forward to. In terms of roster depth, Beth Phoenix became the only face credible jobber on Raw at a time even Trish was injured. Mickie turning heel wasn't a swerve. Given the story, it was obvious it was coming.
What made this elaborate storyline that never even saw a proper finish so good even without big swerves? They had big segments that were actually fun to watch. Mickie James has a great charisma. The development was playing out for everyone to see. It was easy to become invested in it.
How does this storyline between AJ Styles and Roman Reigns compare to that? First of all, not everything is playing out in the WWE. A lot of it is based on what happened in Japan with the Bullet Club. The WWE is using it and referencing it, but it isn't the same as seeing AJ Styles actually build that relationship with Anderson and Gallows. Wrestling fans may know all about it, but the casual audience can't appreciate it.
Second, the big segments here aren't that entertaining. It is mostly Anderson and Gallows attacking The Usos or Reigns and AJ Styles being hesitant to embrace the dark side. Yeah, people going through tables is always fun to watch, but you see this kind of stuff a lot whenever the WWE is developing a hardcore-style match for a feud. And I don't think the WWE having Anderson and Gallows kiss each other would suddenly take this storyline to a better place.
Lastly, you don't have anyone in this storyline that is as charismatic as Mickie James. AJ Styles is a great wrestler. He is a better wrestler than any other guy involved in his current storyline. He is better than any of the women that were involved in the Mickie/Trish storyline. But when it comes to charisma, he lacks that. Wrestling fans are not going to care too much for that, but it makes it harder to enjoy this extended storyline until it develops in a bigger way.
I would say the only thing that can make this feud great is whatever swerve the WWE has planned. They need that to create true buzz. As I have said, wrestling fans may be sold on this because they know about the Bullet Club and they love AJ Styles for his wrestling ability, but this storyline is missing mass appeal. A lot of fans have not seen much of its development, the segments aren't that entertaining, and you don't have performers that are very charismatic. You have a struggling centerpiece in Roman Reigns, a great wrestler that has not yet broken out on his own in the WWE in AJ Styles, Festus, and Karl Anderson. Once this story gets taken to another level, then it should get really good. And I would have done it already.
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