Top 3 highly-rated rated AJ Styles PPV matches of 2019

WWE Superstar AJ Styles has settled nicely into his current role as leader of The OC group. The stable, made up of former Bullet Club members has an nWo-Esque vibe but also give off a 'goofy' charm that gives an extra element of entertainment on Monday Night RAW.

However, when Styles decides to 'turn it on' in the ring, there is arguably none better in the world of pro wrestling. The Phenomenal One has had yet another stellar year as one of the linchpins in the WWE roster.

With it being so close to the end of the year I wanted to take a look at some of WWE's top performers and their top 3 bouts throughout the year. For simplicity I have based the ratings off the standard five-star scale, depending on what I gave the matches at the time.

So, here are the Top 3 rated AJ Styles PPV matches of 2019:

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#1 WWE Money In The Bank 2019: AJ Styles vs Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship - 4.25 stars

An instant classic

What happens when you take two of the best in-ring performers on the planet and give them 20 minutes in the ring? This match.

Interestingly this was the first meeting between Styles and Seth Rollins in WWE, both tenured members of Ring of Honor in their past. This match was far and away the best bout on the Money In The Bank card, bringing a sense of urgency and intensity to proceedings that was sorely lacking up to the point the bell rang for this match.

In terms of what both men left in the ring, there was certainly a lot left for a future program. As I mentioned this was the first WWE meeting between the two Superstars and the match had that 'first of a saga' feel and vibe to it. Certainly, a bout to check out that might be missing from some MOTY lists, even though it deserves a place up there.

#2 WWE Elimination Chamber 2019: AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan vs Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton vs Samoa Joe - 4.25 Stars

Styles was an impact player in this match

Even though this match was all about Kofi Kingston's rise to the WWE Championship, Styles was certainly a part of it.

This was arguably one of the best Chamber matches in the past decade, with the aforementioned Kingston and then WWE Champion Daniel Bryan looking like the two most likely to win throughout the match.

Styles' role in the match was more as an impact (no pun I promise) player, coming in at the fourth slot of the Chamber match and bringing some haste to proceedings.

The Phenomenal One would end up being eliminated from the match by Randy Orton late on. The Apex Predator hit an RKO on Styles whilst he was attempting a Phenomenal Forearm.

This would lead to a fairly lacklustre WrestleMania match between Styles and Orton but that does not take away from the spectacle of this bout.

#3 WWE Extreme Rules 2019 - AJ Styles vs Ricochet for the WWE United States Championship - 4 Stars

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This is one of those strange 'how did we get here?' bouts. The prospect even just five years ago of seeing PWG great Ricochet and TNA/NJPW Superstar AJ Styles in a WWE ring was unthinkable, but earlier this year we got it.

Whilst this wasn't the completely epic blow away match fans had hoped it was a solid mid-card battle with both men hitting their high spots with aplomb. The leader of the heel OC stable, Styles, managed to take the win after hitting a turnbuckle Styles Clash on The One and Only after help from Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

With Styles beginning to 'wind down' his in-ring showcases, it will be interesting to see how he performs heading into 2020. Styles has a lot of road wear from years spent on the independent scene but he is still capable of a minimum three-star match potentially every time he steps foot in the ring, be that as a babyface or heel.

Hopefully, we see some more interaction between Styles and newly signed NXT Superstar Finn Balor in the coming months ahead.