3 reasons why AJ Styles failed to dethrone Dominik Mysterio at WWE SummerSlam

AJ Styles failed to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship match against Dominik Mysterio at SummerSlam 2025. The Phenomenal One was expected to win the IC title for the second time in his WWE career after a five-year hiatus. However, Dirty Dom, as usual, pulled one dirty trick to outsmart Styles in the match.

Dominik deliberately loosened his boots, which came out in AJ's hands during the match. And when the referee was looking away, Dom hit Styles on the head with the same boot. He then delivered a frog splash from the top turnbuckle onto Styles and scored the pinfall. The Phenomenal One had to taste defeat on one of WWE's biggest stages.

Let's take a look at three potential reasons Styles failed to win the IC title.

#3. Dominik retained as IC Champion after recent spike in popularity

Dominik's popularity saw a recent spike after his appearance in AAA. The 27-year-old received massive pop from the fans when he shockingly appeared in Mexico City on July 25.

It was a face-off between El Hijo del Vikingo and Dragon Lee inside the ring, when Dominik came in a hoodie with a face mask and attacked the two. He took off his mask amid thunderous applause from the fans. Dom then walked out with the AAA Mega Championship. He will now contest for the title in a four-way match at Triplemania XXXIII on August 16 in Mexico City.

This could have been one reason why the company didn't book Dom to lose the gold to AJ Styles at SummerSlam, because that would have affected his credibility. His popularity is insanely high at the moment, and losing the championship would have gone against him.

#2. AJ Styles might be booked for a title shot against Seth Rollins or John Cena

AJ Styles might not have been booked to win the IC title for a bigger match in WWE. He hasn't yet squared off against his former rival, John Cena, in a one-on-one match this year. Cena is on his retirement tour and has only five months left. Many fans have expressed their desire to see an AJ Styles vs. John Cena match, as these two have put on phenomenal shows inside the ring in the past.

Similarly, WWE could have Styles go for the World Heavyweight title and challenge Seth Rollins for the gold. Rollins has just won the gold, and Styles, being a two-time WWE Champion, is the perfect opponent for him. Therefore, winning the IC title wouldn't have done any good for him.

#1. AJ Styles doesn't need the IC title at this moment in WWE

AJ Styles is one of the biggest superstars not just in WWE, but all over the world. He is a legend in this game and doesn't need the Intercontinental title to prove his worth. He has been around in the Stamford-based promotion for the past nine years and has shown his wrestling prowess.

Even before coming to the Stamford-based promotion, the 48-year-old superstar was a legend in TNA and was immensely popular. So, losing the IC title match at SummerSlam would not affect him in any way. To Dominik, the win mattered a lot.

It will be interesting to see if Styles will try to teach Dominik a lesson for playing dirty during their match at SummerSlam. We'll get the answer on RAW this week.