Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles: What's Next for Each Superstar After WWE Payback?

A transformation awaits Roman Reigns, while AJ Styles is set to see a shift in his alliances in the narratives sure to follow WWE Payback 2016.

The WWE champion and the No. 1 contender didn't settle things at Sunday's pay-per-view. There is still a battle left to fight, and there are still chapters to be told in their story together.

In fact, WWE wasted no time in announcing their next meeting. Backstage at the PPV, Stephanie and Shane McMahon decided that Styles and Reigns would meet for the world title at Extreme Rules.

As those two enemies march toward that matchup, change is promised to both of them.

Reigns' character cannot stay the same. The audience's reaction is dictating a move toward darkness.

In Styles' case, it will be his refusal to give in to his sinister side that will upend things for him. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson won't accept The Phenomenal One being virtuous.

A More Wicked Reigns

Reigns is slowly evolving into a heel.

Since winning the WWE title at WrestleMania, he has been smugger. He hasn't smiled as much. He's looking less and less like the gung-ho character he was beforehand. He hasn't fully slipped on the black hat either, but that is poised to change.

At Payback, we saw him be more aggressive than normal. There was an extra thump behind his forearm shots. He smirked after flooring Styles with a nasty clothesline.

All that had the air of heel on it.

Some fans predicted that Reigns would take over as the leader of WWE's version of the Bullet Club. Gallows and Anderson didn't join him, though. Instead, Reigns stuck with his family, as he tweeted after Payback:

But while those bruisers may not be Reigns' ticket to heel status, a turn appears to be coming.

For WWE to have him face such a popular babyface again is either a case of being tone-deaf to the audience or a chance for Reigns to garner heat once he goes full-fledged heel. Doing something despicable to Styles would do wonders for his momentum as a villain.

And that's the safest bet for Reigns' next direction. With as loud as the boos are for him, WWE can't plug up its ears and ignore them. Count on the company harnessing the backlash for Reigns.

That will position him as a great rival for a returning John Cena. Eventually, Cena vs. Reigns is a matchup that has to happen, with the man WWE is trying to position as a top star taking on the man who has held that spot for a decade.

A villainous Reigns staring down Cena in a few weeks would start laying the foundation for the SummerSlam main event.

To Bullet-Club or Not to Bullet-Club?

Styles' old buddies from New Japan Pro Wrestling have not been shy about aiding him. They did so again at Payback, pouncing on Reigns to help the challenger gain an edge.

But WWE planted the seeds for that alliance to splinter. Styles was down on the floor when his brothers in arms went after Reigns. He could later be upset with them for cheating on his behalf.

Credit: WWE.com

All throughout this story, Styles has seemed uncomfortable with Gallows and Anderson playing his attack dogs.

That hints at him clashing with his own comrades in the near future. Styles is likely to push back against Gallows and Anderson, only to have them turn on him. That would then be Finn Balor's entry point into WWE.

Balor has reminded us time and again that he was also Gallows and Anderson's ally in Japan with photos like this one:

With Balor already sporting "Balor Club" T-shirts, it's easy to see him taking over as Gallows and Anderson's frontman. That would set up a feud with Styles that would have the potential to launch both stars' careers. 

That would give The Phenomenal One plenty of spotlight when his time as a world title contender is over.

WWE will want to keep showcasing Styles, too. He has been tremendous at every step. As Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald noted, the former TNA star has certainly proved himself in his new home:

That success may not translate to a title run with WWE so firmly behind Reigns, but it will assure him a high-profile storyline. Him finding allies to help him take on Balor, Gallows and Anderson would be just that.

A faction war is in Styles' future, with his NJPW past woven into his WWE present.