Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles Had an Epic Title Match on SmackDown Live

With Daniel Bryan refusing to travel to WWE‘s controversial Crown Jewel event this Friday, WWE decided to do their big WWE Championship match between he and AJ Styles on Tuesday night instead.

Though the two have wrestled in WWE once before on television, earlier this year on SmackDown Live, this was truly a dream match for scores of wrestling fans. Two of the most popular stars on the roster among hardcore fans doing battle for one of the company’s top prizes.

The two men traded offense early before Bryan hit a suicide dive to the outside and sold a hurt knee from the move. Styles then took over on offense, working the knee over like the veteran that he is. When they went to the ground, Bryan attempted to use his grappling ability to gain some position on Styles but was ultimately taken out again by Styles.

Styles slammed Bryan’s knee on the mat, hit a brutal knee breaker, and continued kicking away at the left leg. Every time Bryan attempted to fight back, including the use of an uppercut, Styles fought back with targeted attacks on the knee.

Bryan eventually countered back by escaping a reverse DDT attempt with some knee strikes (with his non-injured leg). Bryan then hit the Yes Kicks but continued to favor his left leg. He ran in for the running knee but was taken out by a Styles dropkick.

Later, Bryan countered a springboard attempt from Styles in the corner, crotching AJ in the process. They climbed up top, where Bryan went for a side suplex from the top turnbuckle, but Styles turned mid-air and came down on Bryan’s neck as we went to a commercial break.

Bryan had the Yes Lock on for a couple of seconds coming out of the commercial until a rope break broke that up. Moments later, Styles suplexed Bryan over the top rope to the outside floor. This caused Bryan to sell his hurt knee from earlier in the match, and Styles followed that up by slamming the knee across the announce table.

Bryan fought back by throwing his opponent into the ring steps and then back into the ring. Bryan hit two running kicks in the corner and went for a top rope hurricanrana. Styles tried to fight out of it, looking like he’d hit a Styles Clash from the top for a moment, before Bryan ended up hitting the hurricanrana anyway.

Styles fought back on the injured knee once more, hitting a dragon screw leg breaker using the ring ropes. As Styles flew into the ring with a Phenomenal Forearm attempt, Bryan cought him and locked in a submission. He turned that into the Yes Lock in the middle of the ring. Styles tried to fight out and Bryan locked in a triangle. Styles then lifted him, dead weight, and hit a modified Styles Clash. Styles then locked in a Calf Crusher on the injured knee and Bryan was forced to tap out.

After the match, Samoa Joe attacked Styles from behind as Styles and Bryan were shaking hands. Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch on Styles, but Bryan ran into the ring to break it up. He was then locked into the Coquina Clutch for his trouble.

This ending leaves us to wonder if Styles vs. Joe will take place at Crown Jewel now. Perhaps we will get an announcement later on tonight during SmackDown.