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What’s the story?
The WWE Universe at the Allstate Arena in Chicago were on the edge of their seats as No. 1 contender AJ Styles battled Kevin Owens for the United States Championship.
The match ended in a count out win for Kevin Owens as AJ Styles’ leg was caught in the announcer’s desk and was unable to make it to the ring. In a video posted on WWE’s official YouTube channel, AJ Styles said that he was unsure about his status on Smackdown LIVE this Tuesday.
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The windy city of Chicago was in for a fight as Styles and Owens made their way to the ring. Owens took the initiative right from the very beginning as he turned the match into an all-out brawl. Keeping true to his heel persona, Owens shoved Styles’ leg into the monitor hole as the referee continued with the ten count.
Owens then administered one final superkick to Styles as the latter was being helped by the officials. This win may have been a lucky one for Owens as was pointed out by the commentary team.
The heart of the matter
In the video, AJ Styles is shown being helped to the locker room by WWE officials. On being asked about the way his match ended, Styles responded by saying that he was not even sure if he would be able to wrestle the next day. Styles was visibly traumatised after the matchup.
The match was an enthralling one as the duo started with a fistfight, exchanging blows with each other. Kevin Owens focused on Styles’ knee for the most part of the match. This was in continuation with the angle from last week’s Smackdown LIVE when Owens hit Styles in the knee with the championship title.
This strategy helped Owen’s retain the title as Styles count not execute the Phenomenal Forearm with a weak knee.
What’s next?
This rivalry is far from over as AJ Styles will be looking to get back at Owens once he is in fighting shape. There has been no official update from the WWE on AJ Styles’ condition, but he may take a week off after the abuse that his knee took during the match.
Author's Take
The injury may just be work to sell the brutality of the match. This match may have been the match of the night barring the finish. However, it is understandable that WWE wants to protect its top babyface and a count out loss would not harm Styles’ momentum.
All eyes will be on Smackdown LIVE on Tuesday to see if AJ Styles will take to the ring or spend some time away from the squared circle, licking his wounds.