WWE Rumors: AJ Styles Rebranding Could Be Similar To 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Character

GettyImages-982432156 — WWE star AJ Styles is in for a major overhaul with a new persona in the works. Pictured: Smackdown women's champion Carmella and WWE'S world champion AJ Styles show their football skills at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 24, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images/Robert Prezioso

WWE stars have their own gimmicks and persona, each tied up to the kind of character they portray. As far as AJ Styles is concerned, he has done both sides – face and heel – so his flexibility should not be a problem. Also, it gives the company new branding ideas to sell merchandise to avid wrestling fans.

By now, most may recall how Styles lost it and laid out Vince McMahon during the Dec. 25 2018 edition of WWE Raw. For those who missed that segment, you can view it below.

Apparently, an expected change in the character of Styles is in the works. The two-time WWE champion will be facing Daniel Bryan at the WWE Royal Rumble set for Jan. 27 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Styles earned that right when he won a fatal five-way match to determine the no. 1 contender to Bryan’s title, the Wrestling Observer reported.

But the real story here is the transformation of Styles, who is likely to be feuding not only with Bryan, but also the WWE chairman. That scene where McMahon slapped Styles sent off different signals despite the WWE boss saying he “absolutely” wanted to see the real AJ Styles, Ringside News reported.

It seems unclear what kind of AJ Styles fans will be seeing. The real AJ Styles could be a face character similar to the one that Stone Cold Steve Austin followed during his time. If that should be the case, the 41-year-old could end up portraying a vigilante kind of a persona where he would not only feud with Bryan but also with the McMahon clan.

Conversely, he could end up becoming one of the new heels in the WWE. He could wrest the title from Bryan and eventually start a reign full of hatred – possibly with or without the support of McMahon.

There is also a scenario where the new Styles could be screwed out of the title with McMahon getting involved. He could interfere physically or even use his power to make sure that the Phenomenal One works doubly hard to be WWE champion.

The only thing certain moving forward is that the WWE is in for a different kind of AJ Styles at shows. As of this writing, it seems too early to predict if he will be a pro or anti wrestler, but it would be best to see if Bryan himself will be undergoing some sort of persona change.