Feud with The Bloodline, first-time-ever match & more - 3 directions for AJ Styles after his loss at Backlash 2024

At Backlash 2024, the WWE Universe had their eyes set on AJ Styles. After a disappointing WrestleMania 40 that saw him lose to LA Knight, Styles beat The Megastar on SmackDown to earn an opportunity against Cody Rhodes at WWE Backlash France.

Unfortunately, this opportunity did not mean much, as The Phenomenal One ended up losing to Rhodes. Despite putting up a great effort against The American Nightmare, Styles came up short, which will naturally be very upsetting for him.

In this article, we will look at three directions for AJ Styles after his loss at WWE Backlash France.

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#3. AJ Styles restarts his feud with LA Knight

Since AJ Styles returned to SmackDown last year, he has taken on the role of a heel. Despite being heavily cheered in France, one must not forget Styles is currently a villain. Hence, given that LA Knight, who is a massive babyface, lost to Styles, WWE may want to let Knight have his win again.

Hence, it won't be surprising to see the Stamford-based promotion restart the rivalry between the two. On next week's episode of WWE SmackDown, Knight and Styles can once again indulge in an intense rivalry that could potentially lead to a final match.

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#2. Rekindle The O.C. and go after Tama Tonga

One of the most exciting rivalries AJ Styles has available is against Tama Tonga. For those unaware, during Styles' time in Japan, he and Tonga were in the Bullet Club. While they shared a good relationship, things soured in the end when Bullet Club sided with Kenny Omega and betrayed The Phenomenal One.

Given that Tonga did nothing to help him back then, AJ Styles could look to reunite with The O.C. and teach The Bloodline's new member a lesson. It will be interesting to see if the Stamford-based promotion books something along these lines.

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#1. Challenge for the US Title

Since returning to SmackDown last year, Styles has challenged for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on two occasions. However, both of these occasions failed for The Phenomenal One. Hence, he may have to rethink his strategy to move ahead.

Given that he hasn't been able to win the Undisputed WWE Championship, it will be in Styles' best interest to challenge for the United States Championship. Since Logan Paul, too, does not have a clear challenger, a match between him and Styles could work well.