3 reasons why AJ Styles won the Number 1 Contender's Match for the WWE Championship on Smackdown

On the New Year's Day edition of Smackdown, WWE booked a Fatal-5-Way number one contender's match for Daniel Bryan's WWE Championship. In what was a wild and frantic bout, AJ Styles overcame Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Samoa Joe and Mustafa Ali to set another date with Bryan for the title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. It seemed like their feud was done after the different segments both Styles and Bryan were part of on the previous episode.

Daniel Bryan looked to have started a program with Smackdown newcomer Mustafa Ali, who picked up a pinfall victory over the champion in a tag team match also featuring Styles. Elsewhere, the Phenomenal One was part of a show-closing backstage segment which saw him punch Mr McMahon after getting berated by the chairman. It is intriguing to see what will come of that, but we will have to wait until after Royal Rumble for it.

This WrestleMania season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting ones ever, with nothing set in stone so far. There are so many directions the company could take us with all the championships, including the WWE title. Another Styles vs Bryan championship match on pay-per-view is never going to be a bad thing, but it seemed like it was Ali's shot for the taking. Here are three reasons why it was AJ, and not Ali, who won the Number One Contender's Match on Smackdown.

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#3 A full-stop on the feud with Daniel Bryan

This feud has been pretty great.

Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles started feuding over the WWE Championship during the final quarter of 2018, with a couple of excellent television matches for the title. Bryan turned heel to win the WWE Championship from Styles on the Smackdown before Survivor Series, sending their feud into a higher gear.

His heel run has been amazing, bringing the fire he did not seem to have during the initial months of his comeback from retirement. Bryan has been stellar on the microphone and is showing why he is one of the best WWE superstars on the roster.

This feud has also revitalised the former WWE Champion, who seemed to grow stale towards the end of his year-long reign. The match between the pair at TLC was brilliant, showcasing the world-class abilities of both Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles.

However, it did end in a small package, meaning there still is some scope for a definitive finish to this rivalry. Perhaps we might get a big stipulation match between the pair to freshen things up and cap off a fantastic series of matches.

#2 Loading the card with lots of star power

Two Rumbles and two huge championship matches make for a can't miss show.

The Royal Rumble pay-per-view is the second or third biggest event of the year, mainly because of the titular 30-man match and the fact that it kicks off the road to WrestleMania. It has become even bigger with the inclusion of the Women's Royal Rumble Match.

Alongside the two mega bouts, WWE has booked a couple of mammoth world title matches. Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman, while we now know that AJ Styles will challenge Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship once again.

This move will surely make Royal Rumble much bigger than it already is. While the majority of the hype going to the men's and women's Rumble matches, the two world title matches are also riddled with intrigue.

Anything can happen in both these matches, making the event more blockbuster and less predictable than it already is. Nobody would necessarily believe that Mustafa Ali holds a chance of beating Bryan for the WWE Championship. After all, it is all taking place at Chase Field, a baseball stadium.

#1 Mustafa Ali's time is yet to come

Mustafa has made huge waves on Smackdown.

Mustafa Ali is an incredible professional wrestler and has absolutely earned his promotion from 205 Live to Smackdown. He arguably could have won the Cruiserweight Championship, but is poised to do amazing things on the main roster.

Ali's first few weeks have gone by pretty well, with him owning a pinfall victory over Daniel Bryan. It seemed like he would be the next challenger for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble, but that is not the case as we saw on Smackdown.

A WWE title match at Royal Rumble between Daniel Bryan and Mustafa Ali seems a bit too predictable for it to be Ali's big opportunity. He will enter the Royal Rumble match and surely have an impressive outing, before continuing his upward trajectory on the Blue brand.

Sometime around the summer would be a better time for a championship program between Bryan and Ali, as the result would be in a little more doubt. There needs to be a longer and better build-up for the 205 Live alumni to earn a WWE Championship shot. It will be worth it.