AJ Styles to Face Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn for Championship at WWE Fastlane 2018

After successfully defending the WWE Championship in a handicap match at the 2018 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles will essentially have to do it all over again.

SmackDown Live general manager Daniel Bryan announced Tuesday that Styles will put the belt on the line in a Triple Threat match against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens at Fastlane on March 11:

Owens and Zayn had faced off in a singles match Tuesday night to determine a No. 1 contender for Styles, who had a front-row seat while watching the match at the commentary table. During the match, Zayn got in Styles' face, which led to the champion causing a distraction by attacking Zayn.

The dynamic between Owens and Zayn and SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon has been puzzling over the last few months.

WWE is basically recreating the babyface vs. evil authority figure rivalry that has been part of the business forever, with one large distinction: McMahon has largely been positioned as the babyface ever since returning to WWE in February 2016.

That has continued despite him either openly trying to or succeeding in screwing over Owens and Zayn.

He tried to count a quick pinfall in the tag team match at Clash of Champions last December where Owens and Zayn would've been fired if they had lost. Then, after Owens and Zayn accurately pointed out Zayn was the legal man when Styles pinned Owens at Royal Rumble, McMahon responded with complete indifference.

The story has been so long and drawn out without anything actually happening that it has likely ruined whatever the payoff is going to be.

In addition, nobody actually expects Styles to lose the title at Fastlane since the stage is set for him and Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura to have a showcase match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34.

While it makes sense for WWE to keep SmackDown Live in a holding pattern until WrestleMania gets closer, another match involving Styles, Owens and Zayn does little to help anybody involved.