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Well, many thought this would headline the pay-per-view and, rather disappointingly, it did not. With Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe and a tag team encounter featuring Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn against Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley still left, the WWE Championship match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura took place.
This match started with both men having to be held apart until the bell rang, then immediately, Nakamura went on the run. AJ caught him, though, and The Phenomenal One started proceedings by slamming Nakamura into the barricades around the ring and the announce table for one full lap before taking the Rockstar back into the ring and pummelling him in the corner.
In a similar vein to their matches at WrestleMania and the Greatest Royal Rumble, this was a very physical encounter which saw Nakamura's strong style striking clash with Styles' athleticism and intensity.
The in-ring action didn't last very long, though, before it ended up back on the outside with Nakamura again being introduced to the barricade. Styles went for a splash and got up close with the WWE Universe himself as Nakamura evaded the attack.
Nakamura then delivered several knees to the face of Styles with the WWE Champion hanging from the apron and eventually falling to the outside. Nakamura rammed Styles back into the ring for a near fall.
Nakamura then methodically tore AJ Styles apart with a sinister smile on his face as the Artist used some violent kicks to paint a pained expression on the face of the Phenomenal One. Nakamura then stood on Styles before the pair exchanged blows, but Styles still couldn't take advantage of any gap in play.
On the outside, Styles tried for a Phenomenal Forearm from the timekeeper's area, but Nakamura caught him before impact - and moments later with the same story in the ring. Nakamura caught the champion, placed him on the ropes and delivered a kick to the ribs before coming off the top with another.
After a near fall, Nakamura went for a steel chair to try and give himself the upper hand against the resilient champion, but Styles evaded and got the Rockstar up for the fireman's carry, before being clocked once more and flipped face first onto the steel chair via reverse exploder.
Nakamura set up for the Kinshasa, but Styles launched a chair at the challenger's knee to dodge the Artist's most valuable move. The chair, though, rebounded off Nakamura's knee and cut open AJ Styles' cheek pretty severely.
No stopping the champ, he rolled up Nakamura in a Calf Crusher, hyperextending and bending the injured limb throughout. Nakamura, though, rolled into a triangle chokehold, before AJ tried to lift the man from Kyoto into a Styles Clash.
Nakamura escaped to the ropes and exited the ring but, before Styles could hit a huge Phenomenal Forearm to the outside, Nakamura made his way back into the ring, and Styles got Nakamura up and dropped him shoulder onto knee, but still only managed to get a near fall. Styles hit a Pele Kick then went, again for the Styles Clash, but Nakamura hit the low blow.
Before he could capitalize, though, Styles hit a low blow of his own, flooring both men. The pair fought to their feet then continued to hit strike after strike on each other's tired torsos with a strong hit by Styles being met with a headbutt, then two simultaneous low blows via kick yet again flooring champion and challenger.
With both men unable to answer the count of ten, the referee called for the bell and AJ Styles retained his WWE Championship.
