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AJ Styles defeated LA Knight on SmackDown tonight to earn a shot at Cody Rhodes at Backlash: France. With the win, The Phenomenal One gets the first crack at the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
Styles and Knight continued their feud from WrestleMania 40, where The Megastar was victorious. Now that the former WWE Champion got a measure of revenge on Knight, he'll turn his sights to winning his first major title in years.
AJ Styles became the #1 Contender to Cody Rhodes on WWE SmackDown for any of the next four possible reasons.
#4 Rhodes' first title defense
Since Cody Rhodes ended Roman Reigns' run of over 1,300 days at WrestleMania 40, most fans expect a long reign for the new champ. It is possible he could even hold the title for at least a year.
Defeating such a long-reigning champion means that Rhodes should beat his first few challengers. AJ Styles is a trusted and respected veteran who wouldn't lose anything by falling to the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
Rhodes is the new top star in WWE, so almost every challenger will fall until his title run has reached a significant length.
#3 AJ Styles is still one of WWE's top stars
The first challenger for Cody Rhodes needed to be a former champion or an extremely popular star. LA Knight is a huge fan favorite and fans will still root for him at every turn. Once he wins a title, it will be a huge moment.
AJ Styles has been in WWE since 2016 and has won many championships. He's a former United States and Intercontinental Champion as well as a two-time WWE Champ. Along with Omos, he won the RAW Tag Team Titles. Styles is also a multi-time TNA Champion and IWGP Heavyweight Champ.
The Phenomenal One is a main-event level star but hasn't tasted major gold since late 2019. He's always in prominent feuds on RAW and SmackDown and is seen as a credible threat to Cody Rhodes.
#2 Cheating to win can lead to another match with LA Knight
The #1 Contender's match on WWE SmackDown between AJ Styles and LA Knight was the second match between the two veterans. Knight won at The Show of Shows while Styles won their second showdown.
Since he's the heel, The Phenomenal One poked The Megastar in the eyes while the referee wasn't looking. That method protects Knight from the loss and gives him grounds for another fight with Styles.
The Defiant One might interfere to cost Styles the title, thus leading to a high-stakes third match between the two.
#1 It maintains the heel vs. face dynamic
The simplest possible explanation for why AJ Styles became the top contender to Cody Rhodes is that he is a heel. When he returned to WWE in late 2023, Styles adopted an all-black outfit. He stopped associating with The OC and started using underhanded tactics to get what he wanted.
Conversely, Cody Rhodes has been painted as the ultimate babyface hero since he returned to WWE. He battled through a nasty pectoral injury and overcame insurmountable odds to defeat The Bloodline and The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 40.
WWE wants fans to cheer for Rhodes against his first challenger. Had it been Knight, the crowd would be divided due to Knight's popularity. With AJ Styles' victory, WWE has ensured a clear face vs. heel match at WWE Backlash in France.
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