Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon Will Exceed Expectations

1. Don't Count out The Phenomenal One 

AJ Styles' confrontation with Shane McMahon backstage on Tuesday's WWE SmackDown confirmed the fears of many a wary fan. The Phenomenal One is clearly headed for a WrestleMania bout against SmackDown's general manager, as had been rumored for weeks.

That's certainly not the dream match many were hoping to see Styles get, but fans will be pleasantly surprised come April 2.

As an elite performer, Styles will amplify what McMahon has to offer. The strength of their brewing story will boost the bout, too. And the former WWE champ will be wrestling with a giant-sized chip on his shoulder.

It's easy to see why fans aren't excited about the prospect of Shane O'Mac vs. Styles, though.

McMahon is a 47-year-old non-wrestler with minimal athletic ability. His last match was a stinker against Undertaker at last year's WrestleMania. His breathtaking leap from the Hell in a Cell was the cherry on top of a tumbleweed sundae.

The general manager's wrestling ability essentially boils down to him being ballsy enough to jump off high things.

It's no surprise that places like Voices of Wrestling are bemoaning the fact that Styles isn't getting in the ring with a more talented opponent:

Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura are among the more appetizing options WWE left on the table when it came time to selecting Styles' role at WrestleMania. There's no denying that he won't be able to deliver opposite McMahon what he could have with performers like that, but this battle of wrestler and GM won't be the dud some predict. 

For one, the narrative leading up to the clash will be strong, anchored by Styles' intensity.

He ended Tuesday's SmackDown enraged after losing his No. 1 contender's spot to Randy Orton. The Viper had originally vacated that position, allowing Styles to claim it in a match against Luke Harper last week. Orton changed his mind, beat Styles one-on-one and left The Phenomenal One out of the WWE title picture.

Styles stormed backstage and barked at McMahon, giving us a glimpse of the fire that will crackle around him in this feud.

This version of Styles is going to be a thrill to watch. He's motivated, incensed, incredulous and hungry to make someone pay for what he sees as an unjust situation.

As Chair Shot Reality co-host Josh Isenberg pointed out, Styles flourished in the backstage altercation:

He will do so again as this story unfolds in the coming weeks. The more intense things grow between these enemies, the better their bout will be. Done right, the crowd will be revved up before McMahon or Styles even throw a single blow at WrestleMania. 

And Shane O'Mac vs. Undertaker failed because it involved two men unable to carry a match right now. The Deadman's age leaves the 51-year-old in need of a more athletic foil. That put too much responsibility on McMahon.

Styles, meanwhile, is a first-rate wrestler who will lead McMahon to something memorable. 

This is the same man who made James Ellsworth look far better than he had any business looking last fall. It's no coincidence that Harper, Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin delivered some of the best work of their career when tangling with Styles. The springboarding warrior is a mat master who maximizes his opponents' ability.

Consider too that Styles can't be happy about being relegated to a match against McMahon. He had to be dreaming of main event spotlight, of entering The Show of Shows with gold draped over his shoulder.

That real-life frustration—about not getting a more high-profile bout, about being pushed aside as champ, about not being a focus of WrestleMania despite being SmackDown's rock last year—will drive him. It will be the fuel that inspires him to steal the show, with McMahon as his dance partner and all.

2. Goldberg Not Paid By the Hour

Goldberg must have negotiated the contract of a lifetime. The former WCW star is earning big-time money to barely dip his toes into the wrestling ring.

He defeated Kevin Owens in just 22 seconds at Sunday's Fastlane pay-per-view. His Survivor Series victory over Brock Lesnar last year lasted only a minute-and-a-half, per CageMatch.net. Per WWE.com, Goldberg was in the Royal Rumble for only three minutes and 21 seconds.

That adds up to a grand total of 5:08 in three matches. 

No one expected him to produce 60-minute Broadways, but WWE has been decidedly sparing with how it has used Goldberg. He's more spectacle than warrior at this point. At least, the other roster members won't have to worry about him taking up a big chunk of ring time at WrestleMania.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Ron Bass

The wrestling world lost an outlaw this week. WWE announced on Wednesday that Ron Bass died at age 68.

Bass worked for WWE in the late '80s mostly as a midcarder. The tough-as-they-come cowboy was an underrated talker. His growling, to-the-point style was on display in a promo from 1979 during his time with Mid-South Wrestling:

Thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 

4. Cruiserweight Division's Latest Addition

Austin Aries stepped away from the announce table on Tuesday to officially join the cruiserweight division, instantly bolstering it.

It's taken a long while for the cruiserweights to find their footing on WWE TV, but we've seen significant strides of late. Akira Tozawa's arrival added adrenaline. Spotlighting Jack Gallagher has energized 205 Live. Neville's heel turn has made him a pillar of the division. 

Add Aries' addition to that list. 

After healing from an orbital bone injury, he's now ready to battle WWE's cruiserweights. He interviewed himself on Tuesday's 205 Live before taking on Tony Nese.

Aries is a seasoned vet, a favorite of diehard fans and a skilled in-ring technician. He's going to produce some excellent matches, especially when he and cruiserweight champ Neville collide. His current look-at-me persona will be a fun part of the show, too.

5. Stephanie McMahon, Chant-Killer

Chicago should have learned its lesson by now. If you chant CM Punk's name on Raw, the brand's commissioner will cut you down.

Proving that no one quells those chants better than her, Stephanie McMahon told fans on Monday night that they were just like Punk—losers. She was swift and effective, a sharpshooter with no remorse.

Personally, I'm already looking forward to WWE's next trip to Chicago to see the crowd test McMahon again.

6. Out with TNA, In with Impact Wrestling

An ongoing evolution led to a welcome, long-needed change: Total Nonstop Action is giving way to Impact Wrestling.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported executive Bruce Prichard returned to the company during a recent taping where he explained that "TNA as a name is now dead."

It may seem like a minor detail, but it was always a bit hard to take TNA seriously with a such a tongue-in-cheek moniker. Impact Wrestling is a more marketable name. It's what we should have been calling TNA years ago.

Now that the branding is settled, Impact Wrestling has to focus on figuring out how to replace its recently departed talent from Drew Galloway to the Hardy brothers.

7. Charging Past a Low Bar

John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. Maryse and The Miz will easily be the best mixed tag team match in WrestleMania history.

The event has seen a handful of these bouts, but none treated as seriously as the bout brewing between these foes. Cena and The Miz have fired verbal haymakers in the last two weeks. Bella's aggression toward Maryse has been compelling.

Previous WrestleMania matches featuring men and women fighting alongside each other have been treated as filler and comic relief. Cena and The Miz revisiting their 2011 rivalry has been excellent so far, and they will thrive come WrestleMania 33. 

Event	Match	WON Star Rating
WrestleMania VI	Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri vs. Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire	1.5
WrestleMania XIV	Marc Mero and Sable vs. Goldust and Luna	3
WrestleMania XXII	The Boogeyman vs. Booker T and Sharmell	-1
WrestleMania XXVII	John Morrison, Snooki and Trish Stratus vs. Dolph Ziggler, Layla and Michelle McCool	1

And while Maryse is no Charlotte Flair in the ring, she's miles better than Snooki, Sharmell and Sapphire. What seemed like an ill-advised move is poised to be a fun addition to The Show of Shows. 

8. A Rick Rude Retrospective

As confirmed to Bleacher Report on Monday, "Ravishing" Rick Rude is set to posthumously enter the WWE Hall of Fame

The announcement is a long time coming. Rude was one of the best heels of his era and a top-notch performer. For those unfamiliar with his work between the ropes, check out these clips of some of his best work, and be sure to seek out the full matches:

• Rick Rude vs. Ultimate Warrior: SummerSlam 1990 (Steel Cage)
• Rick Rude vs. Sting: Clash of the Champions XVII
• Rick Rude vs. Masahiro Chono: NJPW G1 Climax 1992
• Rick Rude vs. Ricky Steamboat: Beach Blast 1992 (Iron Man)
• Rick Rude vs. Ric Flair: Fall Brawl 1993

It's a testament to a wrestler's ability when their greatest hits list features a variety of foes. Rude excelled against sleek athletes like Steamboat, ring generals like Flair or former bodybuilders like Ultimate Warrior.

Unfortunately, the late Rude won't be able to enjoy the honor coming to him. Congrats from afar, sir.

9. Sami Zayn Needs to Reverse Roles Eventually 

Sami Zayn's skill at playing the punch-drunk victim has him typecast for the moment. WWE has repeatedly made him the man it feeds to its monsters—the hero its villains devour. 

Braun Strowman steamrolled him in January. Samoa Joe battered him at the Fastlane PPV. Kevin Owens blasted him on Monday's Raw in a short matchup.

Each time out, Zayn's opponent has upped their stock of momentum. They have moved upward by stepping on Zayn's back.

At some point, WWE is going to have to let Zayn be the conqueror. He's too good of a babyface and too adept as an in-ring actor not to be the center of his own underdog-makes-good story. A United States Championship run is in order, and eventually an impassioned charge toward the universal title, as well.

10. Finn Balor on His Absence

WWE's first universal champion is anxious to step back into the ring.

It's been nearly seven months since Finn Balor tore up his shoulder at SummerSlam and went on the disabled list. Clearly, The Demon is keeping track of that timeline:

Raw is going to be buzzing with energy once all this waiting is over. Balor was well on his way to being a cornerstone of the red brand when he went down with injury. His return will refuel Raw, whenever that may be.