Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: AJ Styles Must Have High-Profile WrestleMania 33 Bout

1. The Phenomenal One Deserves a Grand Stage

WWE can't let the white-hot AJ Styles fizzle out come WrestleMania.

A loss to John Cena at Sunday's Royal Rumble pay-per-view not only took away his WWE Championship, but made his place on WrestleMania's center stage far less certain. A stacked lineup at The Show of Shows could leave Styles without a prominent spot for the biggest event of the year.

That can't happen. Styles is too popular, stellar and electrifying of a talent to settle for scraps.

WWE will move many a puzzle piece between now and April 2, but for now things don't look great for Styles. Randy Orton is guaranteed a spot in the main event thanks to his Royal Rumble win. Cena and Kevin Owens are the company's two top champs. Thanks to their name power, Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg are all assured big things at WrestleMania.

Styles' future is less clear.

If he doesn't win back the WWE title at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on Feb. 12 in the upcoming six-man match, he's more likely to end up on the midcard than the marquee.

That's an insane thought considering the year Styles just had.

Peter Rosenberg wrote of the former champ for ESPN.com, "Good guy, bad guy, and in between—it made no difference. The guy was almost flawless."

It's hard to argue against him there. Styles was without a doubt WWE's MVP of 2016.

The Phenomenal One was the backbone of SmackDown. His feuds with Cena and Dean Ambrose bolstered the blue brand. And every time he got in the ring on a grand stage, he delivered something spectacular. 

Styles continued his recent momentum by tearing down the house with Cena at Sunday's PPV. In defeat, he put on what Nick Schwartz of Fox Sports called "one of the best matches in WWE history."

WWE has to take advantage of what Styles is doing. It has to keep him in the spotlight and find him a suitable dance partner at WrestleMania.

But that's not as easy as it sounds.

Bray Wyatt may win the WWE title inside the Elimination Chamber to set up the expected clash with his current stablemate, Orton. WWE probably wants a fresh opponent for Cena at WrestleMania. After his run-in with Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, it looks as if Undertaker will face off against The Big Dog.

The list of top-level stars associated with SmackDown is thin past those names.

Credit: WWE.com

And no, Styles vs. Shane McMahon isn't the answer. The SmackDown commissioner was a one-trick pony well before he moved into his late 40s. He's a novelty, a stuntman in sneakers.

WWE has to head in another direction, and it has to get creative to fully utilize Styles. 

Perhaps a cross-band collision with a returning Finn Balor is in order. Maybe Styles gets a visit from NXT's Shinsuke Nakamura. Either one of those options would result in something magical.

The company simply can't wait until the last minute and plug Styles in. He's a star WWE needs to showcase in a huge way. WrestleMania 33 won't reach its full potential otherwise.

2. No Catching Cena

Consecutive Attitude Adjustments allowed Cena to take down Styles at the Royal Rumble. The win netted Cena his 16th world title, matching Ric Flair's record.

Cena has now held what is now known as the WWE Championship 13 times. No one else has even won that title 10 times.

Per WWE.com, Triple H is second behind Cena in WWE Championship reigns:

• Triple H (9)
• Randy Orton (8)
• The Rock (8)
• Hulk Hogan (6)
• Steve Austin (6)

Reigns is well behind those folks with three to his name. As hard as WWE pushes The Big Dog, one might assume he'll charge right behind Cena at some point, but he has a long road ahead to catch him.

Reigns, at 31 years old, would have to win the WWE title 10 times in that next eight years to keep pace with the 39-year-old Cena.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Samoa Joe

Over 17 years into his career, Samoa Joe debuted on Raw on Monday night.

A new audience is set to experience his hard-hitting excellence. Ring of Honor fans, though, have long been aware of what The Samoan Submission Machine is capable of. 

In the New Yorker's Grand Ballroom  on Jan. 10, 2005, Joe crossed paths with Kenta Kobashi in an absolute classic:

A rabid crowd elevated the action as two titans slugged it out. And now, over a decade later, Joe is poised to trade blows under the bright lights of WrestleMania.

4. An Injection of Adrenaline for 205 Live 

Akira Tozawa blasted Aaron Solo on Tuesday night in his 205 Live debut.

The Japanese pit bull's arrival took far too long, but now that he's officially a part of the cruiserweight division, things are about to pick up. Tozawa's aggression, striking skills and the kind of charisma that cuts through language barriers will make him one of the most entertaining parts of the show.

Many of the current stars of the cruiserweight division have failed to engage the audience. That won't be the case with the former Dragon Gate performer.

Tozawa is going to chop and suplex his way to stardom. 

And during his match against Solo, Brian Kendrick watched Tozawa from the commentary desk. If that's a hint that a feud between them is on the way, 205 Live is about to significantly increase in temperature. 

5. The Hosses Get an Assist

Through the magic of editing, it looked as if Mark Henry, Big Show, Bray Wyatt and other big men in the Royal Rumble made it to the ring in impressive time.

What wasn't shown on TV, however, was that they had some motorized help. Henry and his fellow heavyweights rode down the lengthy entrance ramp on golf carts.

Fans like Victor shared some of the images on Twitter:

There's no shame in trying to speed things up to make them more entertaining. WWE should have embraced the situation, though. It would have been fun to see the company bring back the ring carts from WrestleMania III. 

6. Breaking Ground the Hard Way

WWE forged ahead in the women's revolution in the past two years by pitting its female fighters against each other in a Steel Cage match and a clash inside the Hell in a Cell. TNA Impact Wrestling went a step further.

Rosemary vs. Jade battled for the Knockouts Championship in a Monster's Ball match on the Genesis special on Jan. 26.

The two warriors tortured each other in a vicious match. They smashed each other through tables, pierced each other with barbed wire and used tacks as weapons.

Rosemary and Jade delivered a strong performance in savage settings, marking another first for women's wrestling. Your move now, WWE.

7. A Beast in the Rumble

Braun Strowman has left his claw marks on the Royal Rumble in two tries.

Per WWE.com, the monster eliminated seven men from this year's 30-man match. In 2016, Strowman ousted four. In both years, he was responsible for Big Show and Mark Henry's exits from the action.

In only two Royal Rumble matches, Strowman is only seven eliminations away from matching CM Punk's career mark. Punk tossed 18 men over the top rope in six Rumbles. Strowman is well on his way to reaching that number and marching toward Kane's all-time record of 42 career eliminations.

8.  Best of Satan's Prison

On Feb. 12, WWE will bring back the Elimination Chamber. Cena will defend his newly-won title inside the steel structure at the upcoming pay-per-view.

The gimmick match has produced a number of memorable clashes. All its moving parts, inherent brutality and countdown structure often make for a dramatic battle. 

To relive or discover the best the Elimination Chamber has to offer, take a look at these clips and highlights, and be sure to seek out the full matches:

• Survivor Series 2002 (Booker T, Chris Jericho, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Triple H, Shawn Michaels)
• New Year's Revolution 2005 (Batista, Chris Benoit, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Edge)
• No Way Out 2009 (Chris Jericho, John Cena, Kane, Mike Knox, Edge, Rey Mysterio)
• Elimination Chamber 2011 (Drew McIntyre, Edge, Kane, Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Wade Barrett)
• Elimination Chamber 2013 (Jack Swagger, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Mark Henry)

The latest venture inside Satan's Prison won't have the benefit of Chris Jericho's participation. He's been a part of quite a few of the bout's greatest hits. Instead, Baron Corbin, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose will get their first crack at flourishing atop the steel battlefield.

9. Raw Tag Team Scene in Need of Repair

July's brand split has left the Raw tag team division in bad shape.

Yes, the red brand boasts the charismatic trio The New Day, the smashmouth stylings of Cesaro and Sheamus, as well as the popular Realest Guys in the Room, but the tag team picture is painfully thin. That's why we so often see the same matchups. That's why The New Day lacked a proper rival for so long.

Jinder Mahal and Rusev aren't a viable pair.

Mahal is a low-rung star dragging down a potential star. They lack chemistry and feel randomly tossed together.

The Shining Stars and The Golden Truth are filler comedy acts. And even after Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson captured the Raw Tag Team Championship, it's hard to buy into them after months of poor booking.

If infighting leads to a Cesaro and Sheamus split, the Raw tag situation will worsen in a hurry.

WWE would be wise to make a trade with SmackDown, looking to revitalize an underutilized team on that show. Breezango, for example, could be a fun act if made to look like more of a threat. Raw could use NXT's The Revival in a bad way, too.

The only option WWE can't go with is standing pat.

10. Zayn On The Tragedy in his Hometown

After his win over Chris Jericho on Monday's Raw, Sami Zayn pointed to an armband featuring the fleur-de-lis and flashed a peace sign at the camera. Some fans may have missed the subtle gesture, but it had a profound meaning.

As CNN reported, a shooter attacked a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, on Sunday.

Zayn wore an armband on Raw in honor of those who lost their lives in the attack. The former NXT champion also tweeted:

Pro wrestling is so often a medium of escapism. But sometimes tragedy forces its way into that world as well, leaving our wrestling heroes heartbroken.