Is SmackDown building to AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton for the WWE World title?

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AJ Styles won his WrestleMania 33 match against Shane McMahon. That’s good! Randy Orton won his WrestleMania 33 match against Bray Wyatt for the WWE World Championship. That’s... less good. On the surface, anyway: once you realize that this means we’re likely in for an extended Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles feud for SmackDown and WWE’s top title, then Orton winning his 13th World Championship is suddenly a positive.

Styles and Orton wrestled on SmackDown a little under a month ago for the right to challenge Bray Wyatt at Mania. Losing that match to an RKO out of nowhere is what sent Styles over the edge and led to him attacking Shane McMahon in the first place. Now that he’s defeated Shane — and still has not received his one-on-one rematch for the WWE World Championship that he lost to John Cena — Styles is in a prime position to make his one-time match with Orton into a post-Mania feud that helps carry SmackDown into their first full year of story telling as a live brand.

There was obvious magic to the first Styles and Orton encounter on SmackDown, even as it was clear that the two were not going all-out — there were clearly moves and tricks being held for a later meeting between the two, and this was an impressive feeling out process. Orton vs. Styles won’t be John Cena vs. Styles, but we already have that in, well, Cena vs. Styles. Orton vs. Styles as an extended feud can be a completely different kind of greatness, and it certainly feels like, once Bray Wyatt has his rematch, that this is the direction we’re going in.

Plus, we might get an extended look at a Wyatt Family breakup, and that’s a lovely little bonus to get out of Wyatt losing the WWE World title, too.

• It was an uncomfortable match to watch, but between that uneasy feeling and Undertaker clearly walking away from the industry he’s been a part of for decades, Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker was a memorable main event.
• Jim Ross returned to call the match, and between that and its placement on the card — and the sight of Michelle McCool sitting behind commentary — it felt like the end for Taker before it even began.
• Twitter reacted to Taker’s retirement with essentially universal praise and respect for the Deadman.
• Roman Reigns described beating Taker as “bittersweet” but went on to say that mauling him with a chair and hitting him with repeated spears was just something he had to do.
• Kane wasn’t there for Taker’s exit. Or, maybe he was, since the stage caught fire while we were all watching Undertaker walk away.
• Not only are the Hardys back in WWE, but they are also the RAW Tag Team champs. And they’re still Broken. And Reby Hardy celebrated all of this with a shot at Anthem and Impact.
• Not only did John Cena and Nikki Bella defeat Miz and Maryse, but they also got engaged after the match, too.
• Who else is excited for the wedding planning and wedding that Total Divas and Total Bellas will have in store for us?
• Naomi regained the SmackDown Women’s Championship that injury forced her to give up in a brisk affair that saw her submit Alexa Bliss.
• Brock Lesnar won the Universal Championship from Goldberg after leaping over an incoming spear and then latching on with German suplexes.
• Stephanie McMahon was Triple H’s only interference, and it wasn’t enough to stop even an injured Seth Rollins from proving that he can be The Man without constant assistance from The Game.
• Elsewhere on the card, Bayley retained the RAW Women’s Championship, and Kevin Owens proved friendship is dead and he is superior by winning the United States strap from Chris Jericho.
• For full recaps of WrestleMania 33, you’ve got Andrew Swift’s take from Cageside Seats, as well as my own write-up for SB Nation.
• It won’t be spoiled here, but if you want to know which of RAW or SmackDown it appears Shinsuke Nakamura is headed to, you’re just one click away.
• So, we survived a weekend with roughly 900 wrestling shows and two major WWE pay-per-views. Now we just have to get through the RAW and SmackDown after WrestleMania, and then we’re... wait, 205 Live and NXT are also happening this week, that’s right, this never ends. Kyle Decker has what’s left to watch this week all sorted out for you.