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AJ Styles defeated Matt Riddle to retain the Intercontinental title on SmackDown and it was a surprising ending, to say the least. Not only was that evident by the fact that the two put on a 15-minute barn burner of a match, but also by the show of respect each Superstar showed after the contest came to an end.
In all honesty, it was a sort of passing of the torch moment and is a huge sign of the future that Matt Riddle has in WWE. Now, some might be upset that Riddle lost to Styles so early in his run on Friday Night SmackDown, but what if the move was best for business?
With that being said and Matt Riddle seemingly starting a feud with King Corbin, here are five reasons Riddle didn't win the title. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us who you think should have won.
#5. Needs more time on Smackdown
Why did Matt Riddle even need to win the Intercontinental Title against AJ Styles? While the move would have been a popular one, Riddle arguably got the torch passed to him when he got the approval of Styles after the match.
Matt Riddle absolutely took AJ Styles to his limit, avoided a multitude of near falls and hung around the entire time. Again, putting the title on a workhorse like Riddle would be a popular decsion, but why pull the trigger so early?
In the end, some might see this as a step down for Riddle, especially after getting placed into a feud with Baron Corbin, but there is always the opportunity to go back to the title picture later. In fact, if WWE were to go back to this after a period of time, it would probably go a long way in cementing the story of Matt Riddle.
#4. Not the right time
While some fans might have a problem with a statement like this, especially the NXT diehards, Matt Riddle just wasn't the right guy to beat AJ Styles for the title. To be fair though, Styles losing the title so early just wouldn't have made sense from any perspective and Riddle losing was probably a best case scenario.
WWE would be much better off by using Styles to help build new Superstars in the mid-card while Matt Riddle starts his feud with King Corbin. Now, this doesn't mean that the company can't continue Styles vs. Riddle at a later time, but not before The Phenomenal One has had a few dream matches on the blue brand.
In all honesty, WWE should probably hold off on putting the title on Riddle until after crowds return when he can soak in the adulation of the fans. At least that way, the crowd can have an organic reaction and share in the celebration with Riddle, which will only serve to make him even more popular.
#3. Set-up his feud with Baron Corbin
It's no secret that Matt Riddle has found his most vocal critic in King Corbin, and while Riddle was originally able to prove him wrong, a loss to AJ Styles gave Corbin's words some credence. Unfortunately for Matt Riddle, this now means he must prove himself against one of SmackDown's biggest heels.
If nothing else, this is going to be a great feud to watch, especially with the contrast between the two characters; this is absolutely where Riddle needs to be right now. In fact, if Matt Riddle is able to get a series of wins against Corbin in the next couple of weeks, it will arguably put him in a great position towards the upper mid-card.
Where Matt Riddle's WWE career goes from there remains to be seen and will depend on what exactly the company wants from him. It will also depend on Riddle's ability to remain entertaining and not take too many unnecessary losses along the way.
#2. AJ Styles needing more time as champion
What would be the point of AJ Styles winning the Intercontinental title tournament if he loses the belt to Matt Riddle in less than a month? While the decision would be a popular one for fans, it will leave Styles with a loss that would take a long time to recover from and a very uncertain future on the roster.
Furthermore, if Styles were to lose the title, it would undo all the momentum that WWE built up for him with the tournament. Again, it may have been a popular decision with the fans and get some short term buzz around Matt Riddle, but it puts Styles in a very vulnerable position on SmackDown.
In the end, Styles needs to build up his win record, and lose the title to someone else or even Matt Riddle himself later down the line. Anything less than that would just be a disservice to how WWE built him up and would severely hurt what purpose his character is supposed to have.
#1. Create something for later
What if WWE pitting Matt Riddle and AJ Styles against each other was a way to set up something bigger down the line?. Heck, what if Riddle even gets a second shot at the title after he finally shuts up his most vocal critic and shows fans more of what he can do?
The point here is that WWE has had these two Superstars cross paths and now have the option to bring it up at a later time, for another purpose. If nothing else, one of the best parts about storytelling is when a story come full circle, and the company definitely has a chance to achieve that here.
Where, when and how that all happens remains to be seen and depends on where the company is going with all this. All the parts are there to tell an underdog story - an underdog story that could be the start of something big for Matt Riddle and make his eventual title win all the more meaningful when it does happen.
