COULD IT BE AJ VS. AJ?

Could it Be AJ v AJ?

Anthony Joshua has just made a successful second defence of his IBF World Heavyweight title but could he one day come to WWE? The 28-year-old has said that he only wants another five years in the ring but what has he got planned after that?

Reputation to Build

The IBF Champion isn't quite the big star in the USA yet. A win over Wladimir Klitschko next year might not even achieve that but the latest bet365 boxing betting odds currently have Joshua at 1/2 to win at Wembley next April. A subsequent victory over WBC Champion Deontay Wilder would definitely raise his profile even higher. If he can establish himself as the best heavyweight on the planet, then surely Vince McMahon and WWE might start showing some interest in him.

Joshua certainly has the physique to be a star performer in WWE. He also indicated recently that he has some knowledge of the product. He compared the recent Dereck Chisora press conference incident to WWE entertainment. Could it be something that he one day decides to try out himself? The IBF World Heavyweight Champion is a likeable character so probably wouldn't come across as a heel in WWE, but there are certainly ways in which he could be used in the future if he fancies a move to WWE either before or after his boxing career comes to an end.

WWE remains popular in the UK and utilizing Joshua could pay dividends for the company. Remember how Lennox Lewis carried the Union Jack to the ring when the British Bulldog wrestled Bret Hart at Summerslam 1992?  Why not let Joshua do that again if WWE could find a British wrestler that they could push to the top of the card?

Or could Joshua be tempted to actually get into the WWE ring for a match? He certainly has both power and speed. He's not a great talker like Tyson Fury but could handle himself on the mic to a certain degree. Although he's not one of these massive heavyweights (certainly not a Butterbean character), that might actually play to his advantage. 

Clash of the Champions

How about AJ v AJ?  AJ Styles has been a huge success in WWE this year after years spent in companies such as ROH and TNA. He's proved that just like Shawn Michaels, you don't have to be a massive monster in order to get the fans behind you and he can put on great matches and work well as a heel and a face.

In a few years from now, Styles could be an even larger star than he has become and could be able to grab massive media attention. An AJ v AJ clash would certainly be something different for WWE and a lot more convincing than the Floyd Mayweather v Big Show encounter that we had a few years ago. Both will need to work hard to improve their selling power with US fans but it's something WWE could easily look at in the future. They know that in order to keep getting those high PPV buy rates and WWE Network subscribers, they have to look outside the wrestling business. Choosing an undisputed World Heavyweight Champion would be something WWE may well find hard to resist.