WWE Must Avoid Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson's Alliance with AJ Styles

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have arrived, and they are not a tandem to be trifled with.

On Raw’s April 11 episode, Anderson and Gallows made a significant impact by ambushing The Usos, quite the feat in their WWE debuts. Since then, they’ve continually attacked WWE world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns and defeated The Usos in tag team action.

Most recently, they almost cost Reigns his title match against AJ Styles at WWE Payback. Reigns prevailed, but he did get some backup from The Usos to even the odds.

The following night, Styles and his former Bullet Club buddies defeated Reigns and The Usos in a six-man tag match. Despite the victory, Styles was left beaten by Reigns after The Big Dog powerbombed him through the announce table. All of these events will lead up to May 22's Extreme Rules pay-per-view in Newark, New Jersey, where Styles will get his rematch against Reigns.

However, WWE needs to address the elephant in the room.

Gallows and Anderson will most likely interfere during that Extreme Rules bout. They’ll also likely join forces with Styles to defeat Reigns. It’s a popular choice to reunite The Bullet Club in WWE. But it doesn’t benefit anyone involved—not just yet.

It’s imperative that Gallows and Anderson not align themselves with AJ Styles.

For starters, it’s too soon to bring this faction into WWE. Styles is four months removed from his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. Turning him heel would be unexpected for the casual fan. However, diehard fans would anticipate the potential move coming.

Secondly, since their debuts, Anderson and Gallows have established themselves as heels. They went after The Usos, who are popular babyfaces in today’s WWE landscape. It’s not like they went after an up-and-coming team. Their intent was clear: They've arrived, and no one will stand in their way.

Thirdly, this coincides with AJ Styles’ impact. The WWE Universe immediately accepted and cheered for Styles. Every time he enters the ring, he gets a positive reaction.

It’s the reaction WWE sorely needs, as Reigns, its top guy at the moment, draws a mostly negative reaction. WWE needs Styles to be one of the top faces in the company. Turning him heel negates that.

Finally, all that attention will impact the booking of Extreme Rules. What makes the better story? Is it old friends teaming up and running amok on WWE? Or is it former good friends fighting each other?

The second proposal makes for the better scenario. WWE Creative should plan for the duo of Gallows and Anderson to interfere in Styles’ rematch with Reigns and intentionally cost Styles the match.

The following night, they should not align with either man. WWE should reveal their eventual ally, whoever that may be, at a later date. It builds intrigue and makes the former friends battle instead of team up.

We’ve already seen how former best buddies make for better enemies. Kevin Owens' rivalry with Sami Zayn comes to mind as the best recent example. Reminiscent of Owens and Zayn, Gallows, Anderson and Styles had years of being on the same side, but turning the duo against The Phenomenal One makes for a more compelling story.

Extreme Rules will be a pivotal moment for WWE. Whether the creative team decides to let Gallows and Anderson betray Styles remains to be seen.