Best Booking Options for AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho Feud

AJ Styles versus Chris Jericho was nothing more than just a dream rivalry.  Each guy worked in two different companies, and the possibility of them ending up in the same locker room seemed highly unlikely.

But now the dream has become a reality, as Styles and Jericho are heading toward their second match in WWE.  Fans have a taste of what these two can do in the ring, and it's only just a taste; there should be much more to come in this exciting rivalry.

From the moment they locked up on Monday Night Raw, Styles and Jericho had the fans' attention.

The dream match was materializing and within moments, it became clear that this was a brilliant bit of booking.  They complemented each other extremely well; Jericho's pacing was more calculated, while AJ's was faster, yet they both ended up hitting their moves with near perfection.

That timing provided the hook for the crowd to buy in, and they followed the story as it was told in the ring.

It was as good as, and likely better than, anyone could have hoped for, and it was a great example of two pros working together to get over.  The fact that they had fun in the process was obvious to everyone watching.

It was also obvious that this should not end anytime soon.

Thursday Night SmackDown

It's important for Styles to make a great first impression on WWE fans that may not be familiar with his previous work, and Jericho is absolutely the best man to make that happen.  Their match on Raw was very good, and AJ's win helped him tremendously, but it does not end there.

The February 11 edition of SmackDown will see the rematch, as Jericho is out to prove he can indeed beat Styles.

This is a great move by WWE Creative: It allows fans yet another opportunity to see them face off, and it also adds another chapter to their story.  Y2J is a man on a mission and while he is babyface right now, it's clear that he will get the heat in this feud because his dangerously competitive attitude will take center stage whenever necessary.

Jericho wants the win, and he should get it on SmackDown.

Once again, the fans get a pay-per-view-caliber match on TV, and once again they will surely want more when it's all over.  The story will not yet be over because there will need to be a tiebreaker; Styles will not want it to end with him getting beaten.

The rivalry will face yet another chapter as the third match is booked for Fastlane on February 21.

Fastlane

AJ will be on the search for redemption, for the chance to finish the rivalry by once again getting the win over Y2J.  It will be the perfect way for him to make the biggest impact possible in the company that many believed would never bring him in.

But that redemption will not come at Fastlane.  There are two ways this could play out, and they both have to do with The Miz.

The Miz has been involved in this almost from the very beginning.  Miz has heat with AJ, and that heat will likely not die down soon.  This means that fans could see a Triple Threat match at Fastlane between Styles, Jericho and Miz.

While it would be the second Triple Threat of the night, this one would be very different in scope. There would be no world title shot attached, and it would not be the main event, but none of that would matter. The most important part is Styles once again locking up with Jericho.

Miz would do his part, of course, but ultimately would be a distraction, which is the second way this could be handled.

Perhaps a Triple Threat would not be booked, but rather a straight-up rematch for AJ and Chris.  But Miz would decide to interfere, and that would cause the match to break down without a clear winner.

If that is the case, then the fourth and deciding match would need to happen at WrestleMania 32.

WrestleMania 32

The biggest issue with the tiebreaker taking place on WWE's grandest stage of them all is that it's on April 3.

This means Styles and Jericho would need to keep their heat going for six weeks until then.  It's not unheard of to prolong a rivalry so the last match can take place at a later time, of course, but can it happen here?

Can Jericho and Styles keep the intensity going while also keeping the fans interested until the fourth match at WrestleMania?  If they can, then this one would surely need to be the biggest and best chapter yet.

Perhaps a ladder match is in order.

AJ versus Jericho is definitely a dream match realized, but add ladders to the equation and suddenly, the entire complexion of the rivalry changes.  Now fans have two of the best the industry has ever seen competing in a match they could both excel in.

This would be one for the ages, a WrestleMania match that no one would ever forget. AJ finally would have his Mania moment, and Jericho would once again prove why he is one of the best in WWE history. In the end, Styles goes over and Jericho shakes his hand.

It would be a fitting end to one of the best rivalries WWE has seen in a very long time.  

Tom Clark can regularly be found on Bleacher Report, and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.