After weeks of lingering in the gray area, AJ Styles finally returned to his roots as a fan favorite on tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Despite AJ’s brilliance on the mic as a heel, WWE has had a hard time getting fans to hate Styles, whose Phenomenal in-ring style fits perfectly with that of a babyface.
Ever since shaking Shane McMahon’s hand after their intense WrestleMania bout, AJ has slowly been changing back to the babyface star that debuted in the WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble. Tonight, the transformation was complete as Styles faced off with Baron Corbin for the third week in a row.
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A float-over roll-up pin gave Styles the victory over Corbin, but it was the post-match beatdown by Kevin Owens that sealed the deal for the “face that runs the place.” Owens and Corbin took turns laying into Styles, garnering sympathy for the man who only a month ago put the SmackDown commissioner’s head through a car window.
.@AJStylesOrg‘s victory is short-lived as @FightOwensFight and @BaronCorbinWWE ATTACK The #PhenomenalOne! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/wldIkM73o9
— WWE (@WWE) April 26, 2017
Fellow babyface, Sami Zayn, made the run-in to save Styles from further damage, but Owens hit a Pop-Up Powerbomb on the number one contender to his United States Championship to cement the position.
Owens, who claims to be the New Face of America, will defend the United States Championship against Chris Jericho this Sunday at WWE Payback, with the winner to face Styles at next month’s SmackDown only ppv, Backlash.
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