Daniel Bryan will defend the WWE Championship against AJ Styles at TLC on Sunday, December 16. The champ is walking into San Jose California as a changed man. This is the “new” Daniel Bryan, with a new attitude and a new outlook. He doesn’t need the fans. He’s made that clear. But what does AJ Styles need? 

The Phenomenal One is probably not the favorite to win at TLC. In fact he may not be WWE champion again. He’s had a great 2018 and in his year-long run as champ, he’s proven himself over and over again. AJ Styles has done it all. So what’s left? More importantly, what happens after TLC?

From the time he came into WWE, AJ Styles made an impact. He was the one independent star that many believed would never be given the time of day in Vince McMahon’s company as a main event powerhouse. Too much time had passed. It just wasn’t meant to be.

But AJ came in demanding respect with his performances. He was the best in the world and he would not be denied. Styles was never the kind of man that had to brag about his ability or his skills. All he had to do was show up and show off. That’s exactly what he did in WWE.

Now it’s hard to imagine WWE without him. He’s become such an integral part of the company and fans have grown attached to him. AJ is indeed a company guy but yet he’s still maintained his individuality. Fans see that and respect him for it.

AJ is a modern day legend without a title, that much is certain. But his run as WWE champion has only helped cement his pro wrestling legacy. WWE put a tremendous amount of trust in him with that title reign and Styles more than delivered. Every time he steps into the ring, he owns it.

But since he dropped the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan, the aura around AJ has somewhat dimmed. It’s really through no fault of his own, however. The fact is that WWE’s booking has been highly suspect when it comes to AJ. Styles has taken one cheap-shot after another in 2018 and he’s constantly had to battle the odds every time.

That’s what a babyface does of course. But in AJ’s case, it seems to happen more often than not. What began as a highly intense feud with Shinsuke Nakamura soon became a journey into madness. Nakamura literally took the low road nearly every time he faced AJ. It happened so much that fans began to expect it.

Even though Bryan’s heel turn on AJ was completely unexpected, the low-blow he delivered was not. Fans may have been surprised by that turn of events, but they had seen it before. More importantly, they had seen that sort of nonsense before. Wasn’t AJ bigger than that? Didn’t he deserve more?

Fans didn’t hold it against him of course and they shouldn’t have. Styles was surely comfortable with whatever the company wanted to do. If not, he would likely have spoken up. AJ Styles may not be John Cena but he’s definitely earned the right to give his input when necessary. After all, Styles did spend the majority of his pro wrestling career outside of WWE.

He was accustomed to doing things his way. As much as he’s a team player, he’s also a businessman. AJ knows what’s best for him, just as he knows what’s best for his character. So even though he’s no longer the WWE champion, he knows what must happen from this point on. But does he know how it’s affecting the way fans look at him?

Has WWE done more damage to AJ Styles than anyone in that company even realizes? Has he become a punchline rather than a top guy? Only time will tell. But time is the one thing that AJ may not have that much of anymore. Rumors have been swirling for several weeks that he’s ready to scale back his dates in WWE. It’s even been suggested that he’s ready to step aside and call it a career. If so, then who can blame him?

Pro wrestlers are always looking for what’s next. Who’s the next big name to face? What is the next big opportunity? This must surely be true of AJ Styles as well, who’s worked every top guy in Vince McMahon’s company. With the exception of The Undertaker, Triple H and a few select others, AJ has wrestled them all.

Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, John Cena, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan, have all squared off against AJ Styles. Styles brought his best against each man and he can probably keep doing exactly that for another year, maybe longer. But why?

Why keep going? It’s in his blood, that much is certain. AJ is a professional wrestler and he keeps going despite the circumstances or the environment, because he’s a workhorse, That’s who he is and it’s how he lives. Styles keeps going and going because it’s all he knows. But when does the time come when he’s ready to go home?

If he does not defeat Daniel Bryan at TLC, AJ can keep going and hopefully he will. He’s got plenty left in the tank and he’s still regarded by many as the best pro wrestler in the world today. When a guy is this good, everything just comes easy for him. But what’s on the horizon? Some fans believe Shawn Michaels is the next man to face The Phenomenal One. Of course after seeing The Heartbreak Kid at Crown Jewel, that may not be such a good idea.

Michaels says he’s done. He’s said that before of course but just like AJ, Shawn is a wrestler and wrestlers are always looking at what’s next. What is the benefit of Shawn Michaels once again lacing up the boots at WrestleMania? What’s in it for AJ Styles besides another Hall of Fame performance on his resume?

WWE needs AJ Styles, it’s just that simple. But does AJ Styles really need WWE? That’s a question that may not be answered any time soon. But maybe it doesn’t need to be. AJ Styles is one of the all-time greats. Perhaps fans should just appreciate him for as long as they can. After all, he was never supposed to be there in the first place. Anything after this is a bonus and it will surely be phenomenal.