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What's the story?
AJ Styles joined forces with Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode against the team of Jinder Mahal, Rusev and Baron Corbin in this week’s dark match headliner for SmackDown.
The 6-Man Tag Team dark match main event went down after the 205 Live tapings, and saw Styles, Nakamura and Roode pick up the win.
In case you didn't know…
The WWE often puts up dark matches - meaning bouts that aren’t televised - so as to serve as primarily a bonus show for fans who attend the tapings in person.
Additionally, WWE utilises dark matches to gauge fan-reaction, which in turn often influences management's booking decisions on the main shows in the following days.
The heart of the matter
Although the WWE initially advertised that Jinder Mahal would be receiving his WWE Championship rematch against AJ Styles on SmackDown Live this week, the show did not feature the encounter.
However, the Modern Day Maharajah and the Phenomenal One did eventually compete against one another, albeit in a multi-person matchup after the show was finished.
Apparently, the match itself was considerably high-paced and saw the former team receive a huge pop from the fans in attendance. Ultimately though, Styles' team reigned supreme on this occasion.
What's next?
AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal will have their WWE Championship rematch at THIS event. Meanwhile, the other four superstars from this six-man tag match continue to compete in the talent-stacked SmackDown Men's division, with the ultimate goal being a chance at the title itself in future.
Author's take
The WWE really does put together some excellent dark matches for fans in attendance.
Honestly speaking, every professional wrestling fan ought to attend these events to truly experience how magnanimous they are. The TV tapings are almost always awesome, but the dark matches have a different allure altogether as the performer put on a show carefree without having to worry about the cameras panned on their every move.
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