AJ Styles' WWE 2K19 Cover Latest Reminder He's the Top Dog, Not Roman Reigns

The revelation that AJ Styles is the cover athlete for the WWE 2K19 video game not only served as the latest accomplishment in Styles' run with wrestling's most prominent company; it was also yet another reminder that The Phenomenal One and current WWE champion is the real top dog in Vince McMahon's promotion, not Roman Reigns.

Sure, it would be irresponsible to suggest Styles has usurped Reigns as the face of WWE based solely on a video game. Reigns has headlined pay-per-views, beaten Triple H and The Undertaker in consecutive WrestleMania main events and been on the receiving end of a push for the better part of four years.

Yet, despite every attempt by WWE officials to anoint him the face of the company, it is Styles who has risen to the forefront of the promotion and become everything McMahon expected Reigns to be.

A Franchise

Since the brand extension in 2016, Styles has been the face of SmackDown Live.

Whether he was competing for the WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose, warring with John Cena in a classic SummerSlam match or feuding with Kevin Owens over the United States title, there has been no doubt that Styles is the guy on Tuesday nights.

Not only does he provide incredible in-ring performances—including a surprisingly strong match against non-wrestler Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania 33—he has been the centerpiece in all of the brand's hottest angles.

There is a reason for that.

McMahon and the creative team trust him and recognize the connection Styles has with fans. They know they can put Styles against someone like Jinder Mahal or Baron Corbin and bring those young stars to his level of performance.

He is a superb performer, an on-the-job teacher and a Superstar with international credibility that lends legitimacy to his feuds and SmackDown as a whole.

In a day and age where 50-50 booking does not create strong, believable champions, Styles has taken the WWE title and built it into a prestigious prize that one Superstar will ultimately benefit from beating him for.

All of those qualities add up to make him the clear No. 1 on Tuesday nights.

The same cannot be said for Reigns, who has not been able to clear Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar to become the undisputed top dog on Monday nights despite multiple opportunities. The issue has only been exacerbated by the presence of Ronda Rousey, who could be accepted as the top babyface on the flagship.

A Fan Favorite

Despite regularly being faced with seemingly insurmountable odds aimed at building sympathy for him, Reigns has yet to forge the type of connection with fans that Styles has. Babyface or heel, fans root for Styles because they believe in him. They know his journey, respect the work he put in before he got to WWE and appreciate the level of performance he brings to each match.

Reigns' lack of indy credibility is not his fault. He is a great wrestler and has delivered his fair share of show-stealing bouts. But the trust and relationship Styles garnered over the course of his pre-WWE career has clearly influenced his incredible popularity.

Styles came about his push organically. He worked throughout his career to be the best he could be and earned his spot in WWE after years of mismanagement in TNA and a stellar New Japan Pro-Wrestling run. His resume speaks for itself, and fans appreciate him.

They want to see him succeed, to keep the title, and they look forward to his next pay-per-view bout.

In many ways, he is the Bret Hart to Reigns' Lex Luger.

In 1993, WWE officials pushed Luger to the forefront of the promotion despite Hart's greater popularity. The decision backfired on the company, and by WrestleMania X in 1994, it had no choice but to put the title on Hart.

For every insistence of management shoving Reigns down the throats of its fans, Styles has won them over by being the same guy he has been since hitting the national stage in 2002.

Better Booking

Fans have watched Reigns headline big show after big show, winning some matches but losing the ones that matter most. He has combated Brock Lesnar numerous times, in singles and multi-man matches, but has repeatedly failed to dethrone The Beast Incarnate.

When the lights are brightest, he fails. 

Styles, on the other hand, wins matches definitively. With the exception of his recent program with Shinsuke Nakamura, Styles has repeatedly been booked like a genuine athlete who can best his opponents convincingly.

He doesn't overcome odds in the same manner that John Cena did (or Reigns does) but, rather, because he is simply better than the opposition.

It is the type of strong booking fans have been looking for out of a lead hero for years but have been denied since CM Punk departed in 2014.

WWE 2K19 and Beyond

The cover of WWE 2K19 is proof of WWE's trust in Styles. Not only do they see him as someone who can appeal to their own, diehard fans, they see him as someone who appeals to casual fans. They know they can put his face on the cover and have it continue the pattern of success the game has enjoyed over the years.

They do not have that same faith in Reigns, as evidenced by the hesitance on the part of management to put him on that same cover. Despite his status as a multi-time world champion and McMahon's golden boy, Reigns does not appeal to the most passionate of fans.

The potential protest of his placement on the cover is not a risk the company is willing to take.

As long as WWE continues to handle the two Superstars in the manner they have to this point, Styles will continue to be exactly what it wants Reigns to be, further muddying the waters as to who the real face of WWE in 2018 actually is.

Braun Strowman's potential ascent to top status does not make Reigns' path to victory in this battle with The Phenomenal One any easier.