WWE News: AJ Styles defeats James Ellsworth to retain the WWE Championship

AJ Styles defeated Number One Contender James Ellsworth to retain the WWE World Championship on Smackdown Live. AJ won within less than a minute after landing a spinning fist on Ellsworth.

He is PHENOMENAL... @AJStylesOrg is STILL your #WWEChampion!!! @realellsworth #SDLive #WWEChampionship pic.twitter.com/F8uqd8mDYS
— WWE (@WWE) December 21, 2016

After the match, the WWE Champion began a vicious assault on Ellsworth

The punishment for @RealEllsworth is NOT OVER!! @AJStylesOrg throws the challenger into the announcers' table! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/PpBQQAvkZ7
— WWE (@WWE) December 21, 2016

The assault continued with Styles slamming Ellsworth on the steel steps.

Also read: WWE SmackDown results 12/20/16, live updates

AJ walked off initially but changed his mind and went back, he then gave Ellsworth a suplex onto the barricade. The audience was red-hot for the assault, even giving “Yes!" chants after he slammed Ellsworth against the table. This led to EMTs coming out to take Ellsworth away.

EMTs are rushing to ringside to help @RealEllsworth, as @AJStylesOrg gloats in the ring. #SDLive pic.twitter.com/Hrrse40tbJ
— WWE (@WWE) December 21, 2016

After the assault, AJ Styles cut a promo saying that this had been building up for six weeks and that he was not sorry for it, the crowd cheered. He said that he was done with 2016, and didn’t need Santa Claus, because he had it all, including the WWE Championship. At this point, Dolph Ziggler, AJ’s next challenger, interrupted him.

Following a back and forth of insults between the two, Baron Corbin came out and started to berate Dolph Ziggler, telling him that the only reason he got the opportunity to face Styles was because Corbin wasn’t there. Corbin then assaulted Ziggler and hit him with The End Of Days.

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