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The grand finale of the Intercontinental Championship tournament between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles on WWE SmackDown lived up to its billing of being a long and gruelling wrestling match.
In the end, AJ Styles came out on top to become the new Intercontinental Champion.
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan - As it happened
The match kicked off with some classic back-and-forth counters before Daniel Bryan began to work on AJ Styles' left arm with his unique and intricate submission moves.
As expected, Styles took control of the match and slowed the pace down. The heel began to pile up the pressure on the babyface. The match had many quick pinfalls and reversals as they showed off their technical superiority - which was a surprise to nobody.
The match followed a predictable pattern as AJ Styles methodically punished Daniel Bryan. Styles worked on Daniel Bryan's left knee for a better part of the match before the 'Leader of the Yes Movement' mounted his comeback.
After two commercial breaks, Bryan and Styles were seen exchanging heavy blows in the middle of the ring. The pace picked up as we approached the business end of the contest. Bryan locked Styles in the Armbar, but it was reversed into the calf crusher. Bryan reversed it into the armbar again before transitioning to the arm triangle. Bryan got up and rocked Styles with a big kick to the face, that got him a near-fall.
He positioned Styles up on the top turnbuckle with the idea of delivering the back suplex. AJ elbowed him down to the mat, but Bryan was relentless as he wore Styles down at the top with forearm strikes to the back. Bryan finally executed a big back suplex as the show cut to the third commercial break of the match.
Back from the break, Styles took the advantage with a perfect Pele kick followed by a hellacious brainbuster.
They exchanged German Suplexes and a few near falls. The match had already crossed the thirty-minute mark at this point, but the end was surely near.
The most eye-catching spot was when Styles reversed Bryan's Running Knee into the Styles Clash.
Styles hit Daniel Bryan with the Phenomenal Forearm for the three-count. And just like that, AJ Styles captured his first Intercontinental Championship.
AJ Styles was interviewed after the match by Renee young, and he put himself over as the greatest champion in the WWE. He ended the segment on SmackDown on a Phenomenal note.
What were your thoughts about the match? How much would you rate it out of ten? Let us know in the comments section.
