WWE Friday Night SmackDown continues. Otis, Mandy Rose and the returning Tucker Knight are all backstage playing around when Tucker brings up that tonight could be the night. Heavy Machinery are teaming up with Braun Strowman in the main event. So it seems like all of Otis’ closest allies want him to betray Braun at some point. Before Otis can reply though we’re interrupted by Jeff Hardy and Sheamus brawling backstage. They want to quickly get this thing severe again but no, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, this is the angle about Sheamus getting urine splashed in his face now. We then move on to a video package hyping up the match between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan and the Intercontinental title itself. This of course leads us tpo the tournament final.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament Finals: AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan
Bryan with a wrist lock to start. Takes him to a knee. AJ rolls through and reverses. Bryan rolls through, looking for a leg sweep, but AJ holds onto the wrist and keeps control. Bryan rolls through, bridges, steps up and hits a dropkick to force the break! Chain wrestling continues, AJ takes control and slams his head into the top turnbuckle. Wants a suplex, Bryan is blocking it so Styles surprises him with a headbutt to the face! Off a charge, Bryan low bridges to send him to the outside and there’s a very sudden Suicide Dive! Commercial break.
We come back to see Bryan in control over AJ in the ring, holding the arms in an awkward position as he steps upon one. Styles fights up, leap frog and duck under into his lovely dropkick! Bryan fights back, couple of uppercuts into a snapmare but AJ counters a chinlock into an armbar. Pulls him to his feet and twists him into a shoulderbreaker! Now with kicks to that shoulder, double wrist lock as he pulls him up. Bryan whips him away, Kitchen Sink knee! Now he’s looking for the Romero Special. But he gives up on it due to his own injured arm and just stomps the knees into the mat instead, and now he’s looking for a Cloverleaf STF. But he can’t cinch with that either so his next move is to just brutalize the legs, now an Inverted Surfboard, AJ has to kick out after his shoulders get pinned like this and goes over to the ropes to try and get a breather.
Bryan gets him in the corner, couple of roundhouse kicks, looking for his running dropkick, AJ with a sunset flip counter, this leads to a series of cradles, AJ with a side headlock takeover, Bryan with a headscissors! AJ with a jackknife cover, Daniel kicks out and turns it into a backslide for 2, they each hit the ropes and collide in the center with a simultaneous crossbody! Commercial break. We come back to see Bryan working over the arm, armbreakers ensue, AJ with a roll-up to counter but Bryan turns it into a Yes Lock but AJ is keeping him from cinching it in, wrestles his way to a Catapult that sends Bryan over the top and to the floor!
AJ wants a tope but Bryan side-steps it, Styles lands on his feet but Bryan posts him! AJ hit that injured shoulder again! Bryan singles out the arm on the apron and stomps it!! Brutal! Bryan pulls Styles up with a hold of that wrist, AJ swing fists but Bryan takes him down with a vicious arm whip! Inverted Armbar, double underhook into a surprise cover for 2, AJ rolls to the apron to escape the onslaught. Bryan pulls him to his feet, whip to the corner, charging dropkick – but AJ evades it and Bryan crashes and burns against the top buckle, almost went flying out of the ring!
Styles takes Bryan’s leg and Dragon Screws it across the apron! He rolls to the center, AJ into the ring for a kneebreaker! Drapes the leg around the middle rope, forearm to the face and he’s actually hung now! The leg is caught between the middle and bottom ropes, looking painful! AJ with stomps to the chest before the ref forces a break. AJ pulls him up by his bum leg but that sets him up for a step-up enziguri! Bryan with a charge in the corner, AJ with a boot up, goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but Bryan trips him up and he crashes ribs-first on the top rope! Bryan with the Roundhouse Kicks in the corner now, pulls him to the top rope! Super Rana! Bryan shaking some strength into his legs, the Yes Kicks ensue but AJ blocks one, fights to his feet, Spinning Backfist! They both drop to the mat and we have another commercial break! Heck of a match.
We come back to see the two of them exchanging forearms, Bryan with a few leg kicks, AJ fires back with chops, forearms continue! AJ with a vicious leg kick that staggers Bryan, he charges but a back body drop sends Styles to the floor! Hits the ropes for another suicide dive attempt but he’s slowed this time and it helps AJ stop him with a high kick! AJ slowly pulling himself up for a Phenomenal Forearm, goes for it, Bryan avoids it and grabs the arm, turns it directly into a Butterfly Suplex into a Cross Armbreaker! But AJ reverses it into the Calf Crusher, working over that injured leg!!! Cinching back biiig, but Bryan turns this into the Cross Armbreaker again! AJ stands, but Bryan trips him down, roundhouse kick to the chest and there’s the Yes Kick to the head!! Nearfall! Bryan takes AJ up top, looking for a Back Superplex, AJ with elbows… takes him to the mat!
Styles slowly tries to rise but Bryan charges in and attacks, goes up there again looking for a back superplex but AJ with more elbows takes him down yet again. Styles stands atop the second ropes but Bryan AGAIN cuts him off, clobbering him across the back, and there finally is the Back Superplex!! And there’s our fourth commercial break of the match. We come back to see Bryan with roundhouse kicks to that arm! Whip reversed, Bryan flips over AJ’s head but when he tries to land on his feet his bag leg gives way! This sets up the Back Flip Reverse DDT for a nearfall!
AJ hoists him up onto his shoulders, Bryan elbows his way free but eats a pele kick! Styles with a Brainbuster for a nearfall! AJ looking for the Styles Clash, Bryan double legs for a Jackknife for 2! AJ tries another Pele but gets caught into an Ankle Lock!! Pulls him up, Leg-Trap German Suplex for a nearfall! Maintains the waistlock as he pulls him up, AJ reverses and nails a German Suplex of his own for a nearfall! Bryan struggles his way up and gets the German for a 2 count, trapping the arms and bashing him with elbow after elbow to the side of the head, turns him over into the Yes Lock! Styles struggling mightily but he manages to crawl backwards and force his foot onto the bottom rope for the break!
“Yes” chants kick up as Bryan grabs AJ’s wrists and now we have the brutal stomps to the face! Over and over! Bryan shakes the middle rope furiously, poses… charges for the Buisakue Knee but Styles catches him in mid-air and transitions directly into the Styles Clash!! BUT BRYAN KICKS OUT! Now AJ again slipping to the apron, slowly pulling himself up just as Bryan staggers to his feet… Phenomenal Forearm!! And there is finally the finish!
Winner: AJ Styles
That was a classic indeed. No surprise that these two are great but it’s not every day they let a TV match go that long especially in this current situation.
Afterwards Renee Young is in the ring and asking AJ what it’s like to win the title that’s eluded him. AJ calls himself the best WWE Champion the WWE Universe has ever seen and he is phenomenal.
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