The Complete History of the WWE Championship - Part 20

AJ Styles (September 11, 2016 - January 29, 2017)

AJ Styles: Lifted his first WWE Championship at Backlash 2016

AJ Styles as WWE Champion seemed unthinkable for a long time. Despite reigning as NWA, TNA and IWGP World Champion over the prior decade, he did not fit the profile of a World Champion in Vince McMahon's company.

It came as a surprise then that Styles ascended the ladder in WWE to reach the pinnacle and hold the WWE title in just eight months.

Styles made a surprise appearance as an entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble match and quickly segued into a feud with WWE veteran, Chris Jericho. The pair traded wins at Fastlane and WrestleMania 32.

Styles looked like he would spend the winter years of his career as an upper mid-carder in the WWE system. However, a feud with John Cena over the summer transformed his fortunes. He contested in some of the finest matches of Cena's career at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam.

His stock at an all time high in the company, WWE made the call to switch the strap from the faltering WWE Champion, Ambrose to Styles at Backlash 2016. Styles, against all odds was WWE Champion.