AJ Styles Retains The WWE Championship On SmackDown Live

For weeks now WWE has been promoting a WWE Championship match featuring AJ Styles defending against James Ellsworth on SmackDown Live. For the past two weeks the match has been postponed because AJ Styles wasn’t cleared to compete due to a minor ankle injury, but this week it finally happened.

AJ Styles and James Ellsworth kicked off SmackDown this week, and the crowd was fully behind Styles as they chanted his name while they booed Ellsworth. James Ellsworth tried to hit No Chin Music early, but he proved to be no match for AJ Styles.

Styles countered No Chin Music, then hit Ellsworth with a series of strikes. AJ Styles then casually placed his hands on Ellsworth’s chest to put him away in short time.

After the match AJ Styles threw James Ellsworth in the announce table as the crowd chanted “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

He then slammed him into the ring steps and kicked him in the face. AJ Styles then slammed Ellsworth’s head in the side of the ring, then he grabbed his title and walked away. Styles changed his mind and came back to the ringside area and he threw James Ellsworth into the barricade.

A stretcher was brought out for James Ellsworth, and Styles got on the mic to say that the beating was a long time coming.

AJ Styles said he’s done with the most important things this year, and he wants to move on to 2017.

Dolph Ziggler interrupted him and he told AJ that he’s next in line. AJ Styles said that next week he will defend his title against Dolph Ziggler and he will retain.

Baron Corbin then entered the picture as his music hit and he made his way down to the ring.

AJ Styles left the ring, and Baron Corbin told Ziggler that he deserves the title shot, and he called him a little man. Corbin told him that Dolph steals opportunities and you waste them, then he knocked Dolph out as the crowd chanted, “One more time!”

After the commercial break Dolph Ziggler demanded a match with Baron Corbin, and General Manager Daniel Bryan made the match, but he told him that if he loses, Baron Corbin will get the title shot against AJ Styles.