WWE Rumors: The Miz Putting Over AJ Styles At Fastlane

WWE rumors are pointing to a potential match between AJ Styles, who recently joined the promotion after lengthy and successful stints in TNA, ROH and New Japan, and the Miz at the upcoming Fastlane pay per view taking place later this February, according to the official website of World Wrestling Entertainment.

AJ Styles made his long awaited and much anticipated debut in WWE when he was one the third entry into the Royal Rumble in January. On the following night, management put the former world heavyweight champion into a dream match on Monday Night Raw against Chris Jericho. The two of them had never worked against one another before, so fans were eagerly excited to see it finally happen.

Since AJ Styles is not your typical newcomer, WWE wants to make sure that they push him correctly so that they might finally have another credible main event performer on the main roster. Being a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion and IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Styles certainly has the credibility and talent to work on that level. However, if momentum is not properly built, then World Wrestling Entertainment fans, who have been known to be fickle at times, could lose interest in Styles and not buy him as a top star.

For his first full fledged feud in WWE, management wanted to find just the right opponent for AJ Styles. They needed someone with enough credibility so that the victory would mean something. World Wrestling Entertainment also needed someone that was a great talker and could carry that aspect of the program with Styles. Fortunately for the company, they had that exact person on the main roster in the Miz, a former world heavyweight champion that once headlined Wrestlemania.

WWE is really hoping that they can build AJ Styles up quick enough so that they can give him one of the coveted spots at Wrestlemania, still the biggest wrestling pay per view of the entire year. Since Fastlane is wedged nicely in between the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania 32, this was a perfect opportunity for them to give Styles some momentum. A high profile match on the card could give him that much needed momentum boost.

Though fans don’t normally like it when things in WWE are predictable, management has to have the Miz put over AJ Styles, as it is a decision that makes sense on all sorts of levels.

First and foremost, WWE fans are going to riot if the Miz picks up a clean victory over AJ Styles. They would cry that World Wrestling Entertainment purposely went with that outcome because they wanted to take a jab at TNA, a promotion that Styles was associated with for a very long time. Many felt that the Miz was not worthy of a main event push, so they would be even more upset to see him given a victory over a performer that is viewed as one of the best on the planet.

Since WWE is banking big money on AJ Styles, the belief is that they will not go the petty route and will let him have the victory over the Miz at Fastlane. The tricky part is finding him the right opponent at Wrestlemania 32. It needs to be someone higher on the card than the Miz, and that person has to be good enough in the ring to keep up with Styles, so that the match can garner Match of the Year considerations. Daniel Bryan would be the perfect candidate, but WWE refuses to clear him from concussion issues.

Fastlane is going to be the start of WWE pushing AJ Styles towards Wrestlemania.

[Featured Photo by WWE]