Why AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens Will Be the Marquee WWE SmackDown Summer Feud

Of all the matches set to take place at WWE Backlash 2017 next Sunday, no bout is more deserving of headlining the event than AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens for the United States Championship. However, Backlash should merely mark the beginning of a lengthy program between the two heading into the summer.

Styles initially entered the U.S. title picture on the April 11 edition of SmackDown Live when he won a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the strap at Backlash. This came after Owens was sent over to Tuesday nights as part of the Superstar Shake-up, effectively becoming one of the brand's top heels in the process.

Based off all the interactions these two have had in the last month, one would assume that they will be fighting for a world title at the pending pay-per-view. Rather, they have done an exceptional job of elevating the star-spangled prize to where it feels like the most prestigious prize on SmackDown.

Styles' subtle babyface turn couldn't have come at a better time considering he is easily among the most beloved stars on the blue brand. Meanwhile, Owens is a fantastic foil for the Phenomenal One, and the chemistry they have had thus far as opponents has been off the charts.

Regardless of who wins their upcoming encounter, it is imperative that these two resume their rivalry as the summer season gets underway.

Credit: WWE.com

Following Styles' huge victory versus Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 33, it was widely assumed by fans that he would be back in contention for the WWE Championship coming out of the event. Of course, that wasn't the case, but this program with Owens has been a fine consolation for him, to say the least.

After all, Styles vs. Randy Orton is a money feud and should be saved for SummerSlam in August at the earliest. In the meantime, both men would benefit from working with other Superstars on SmackDown Live.

Before stars such as Styles and Baron Corbin begin challenging Orton for his WWE title, Orton will likely be busy with Jinder Mahal as well as Rusev in the coming months. Although The Viper's recent rivalry with Mahal has exceeded expectations, Styles vs. Owens has been the true marquee feud on SmackDown lately.

As I discussed in another article last week, Orton is simply not incredibly compelling as a champion, and thus his title programs have suffered. At this stage of his career, or at least as a babyface, he is not as capable of carrying a brand the same way Styles and Owens are.

While the United States Championship may be viewed as nothing more than a stepping stone to world-title gold, it is on track to become the top title on SmackDown as Styles and Owens continue to vie for it.

Perhaps the most appealing part about their Backlash bout is that it isn't all that predictable who will win. Granted, Owens is fresh off regaining the gold on the May 2 SmackDown, but his first reign was also short-lived because of Chris Jericho's shocking victory at Payback.

With the wave of momentum Styles is riding at the moment, nothing is stopping him from taking that title at Backlash. Even if he was to fall short of capturing the championship, he can keep chasing it throughout the summer, culminating in an epic clash at either the Money in the Bank or Battleground events.

Short of Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Styles vs. Owens is one of the more notable feuds SmackDown has to offer. Thus, cutting it short after a one-off encounter at Backlash would not be doing the program justice.

Every year, there is at least one rivalry in June and July that takes WWE by storm, with John Cena vs. CM Punk from 2011 and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins from 2014 being prime examples. Styles vs. Owens has the potential to be every bit as exciting as those feuds as well, but it must be allowed to play out over the course of a few months.

As SmackDown's summer season quickly approaches, look for Styles and Owens to take center stage on Tuesday nights as they contest classics and bring the blue brand to new heights with their heated feud.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a digital journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.