WWE Champion AJ Styles recently did an interview with The Orlando Sentinel to discuss a variety of professional wrestling topics. “The Phenomenal One” talked about being recognized as one of the best in-ring performers in the business today, his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble, and bonding with his fellow WWE Superstars through video games. You can check out the highlights here below:
Being recognized as one of the best performers in the world today:
“I take a lot of pride in what I do. No matter who I’m in the ring with, I want it to look like what it’s supposed to be. We call it sports entertainment, but it’s supposed to be a contact sport. I want to make that in-ring contact as real as possible, and [also make it real] outside the ring.
“The magic is making the fans question whether these two guys really like each other or hate each other. That performance is what the business is all about … it’s the storylines that people remember.”
His WWE debut in the Royal Rumble:
“Everything pales in comparison to the Royal Rumble. The response I got that night from the fans, after a couple of years out of the U.S. mainstream, is something I’ll never forget. I was really worried about how much the people would actually remember me, but that response made it something really special.”
Bonding with his fellow Superstars through video games:
“These are a group of guys and girls I really enjoy going to work with. You walk in and you’ve got [the New Day’s] Xavier Woods and his video games – that’s right up my alley. So a bunch of us start playing UFC or Madden, and that’s fun. Because you know, idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”
You can read Styles’ full interview with The Orlando Sentinel by clicking this link here.
As we’ve previously reported, the main event for WWE’s Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) in March has been leaked out – a Fatal-Five Way match for the WWE Title between AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. The match has yet to be confirmed by WWE, however, if that match does take place it would indicate that Orton, Nakamura, Owens, or Zayn won’t be winning the Royal Rumble match as it wouldn’t make sense for them to challenge for the title at Fastlane after winning the rumble.
There has been speculation that perhaps John Cena could win the Royal Rumble and go on to challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34, with the storyline being Cena trying to break the record he shares with Ric Flair of being a 16-time World Champion. Per a report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cena vs. Styles will not be happening as Cena will be involved in a much bigger match at WrestleMania 34 instead.
Meltzer noted that he didn’t know who Cena would be facing, however, he was told it would be made clear over the next several weeks. The only names Meltzer could come up with were The Undertaker, Batista, Goldberg or Hulk Hogan. Hogan would be a huge surprise given the leak of his racist comments a few years ago and the issues he has with his back. It’s expected that some matches for WrestleMania 34 will begin to build-up at RAW’s 25th Anniversary special on Monday, January 22, 2018.
The event will be a special simulcast event from both the Barclays Center and the Manhattan Center in New York City; with names such as John Cena, The Undertaker, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, and more scheduled to appear. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more….
While the upcoming SmackDown Exclusive PPV Fastlane is more than 2 and half months away, it appears we already know what’s going to be the main event of the show.
The official website of Nationwide Arena, the venue for the upcoming event is advertising a Fatal Five Way WWE Title match as the featured bout of the show.
The match is expected to see AJ Styles defending his Championship against fellow SmackDown Stars Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
It’s worth mentioning here that some recent reports suggested that Shinsuke Nakamura was being considered to win the upcoming Royal Rumble match by some within WWE.
However, him being part of this Championship match may very well mean that the Officials have dropped these plans and Nakamura wouldn’t be winning the upcoming Battle Royal.
Other stars advertised for the show include SmackDown Tag Team Champions the Usos, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Roode, Jinder Mahal, The New Day and more.
Though this match is yet to be confirmed by the company so there is still a possibility of them changing their plans before the PPV. We’ll keep you posted if any more details regarding it come to light.
– On last night’s episode of Talking Smack following WWE’s Clash Of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) event, Charlotte Flair was asked by Renee Young about what’s next for her in her title reign. Flair noted that she wants to continue to improve but she also wants to be irreplaceable. She wants to be a feature attraction and the reason people are buying tickets to shows – much like WWE Champion AJ Styles. You can check out the video here:
– Last night also marked five years since former NXT Champion Big E made his main roster debut in WWE at the 2012 Slammys episode of Monday Night RAW. E took to Twitter to comment on the anniversary:
Five (yes, FIVE!) years ago today, I stared blankly into your homes for the first time. pic.twitter.com/2ZGlPgKZIP
– An in-ring face-off between WWE Champion AJ Styles and former champ Jinder Mahal has been announced for tomorrow’s episode of SmackDown Live. Styles and Mahal had the following Twitter exchange to hype the event:
– In the dark main event following last night’s 205 Live tapings, WWE Champion AJ Styles successfully defended his title against Jinder Mahal. The pair did not appear on last night’s broadcast, however, WWE did air a video package hyping their feud. They will face off against one another at WWE’s Clash Of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) on December 17th.
– As noted, Rusev and Aiden English were added to the SmackDown Live Tag Team Title match at Clash Of Champions. The bout will now be a Fatal Four-Way between defending champions The Usos, The New Day, Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin, and Rusev & Aiden English.
Rusev and English earned their opportunity to participate in the match by defeating The New Day on SmackDown Live last night. WWE posted the following video of Rusev and English’s reaction to the news:
– At a recent WWE Live Event in Lima, Peru, WWE Champion AJ Styles successfully defended his title against Jinder Mahal. After the match Styles took a cardboard cutout that one fan had of “The Maharaja” and brought it into the ring before hitting it with the Styles Clash. Check it out:
– WWE continues to tease “Woken” Matt Hardy after posting the following video after their Salt Lake City, Utah Live Event in which Hardy let a “Delete” chant with the crowd:
For whatever reason, there have been rumors circulating that WWE Champion AJ Styles could be retiring from professional wrestling after next year’s WrestleMania 34 event from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. “The Phenomenal One” saw one of these rumors floating around on Twitter and flat out denied the bogus reports:
Styles has been wrestling since the late 90s and has competed all across the world throughout his illustrious career. After competing in promotions such as Ring Of Honor, IMPACT Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and so many more – Styles finally found his way to WWE in 2016 as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble.
In his short time with the company Styles is already a two-time United States and WWE Champion (which he currently holds). At 40-years-of-age it should be interesting to see just how much more Styles can accomplish under the WWE’s banner.
A photo has been making the rounds online for a WWE live event in Florence, South Carolina featuring Baron Corbin holding a redesigned United States Championship. The photo was even published on the official Facebook page of the Florence Civic Center, the venue hosting the upcoming show. For fans who have emailed us asking about the “new” US title belt, it’s Photoshopped and not a design WWE will be changing to any time soon.
– WWE posted a backstage interview with Jinder Mahal after last night’s SmackDown Live. Mahal ranted about being forced to defend the WWE Title against AJ Styles when he was focused on preparing for a match with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. Mahal also stated that Styles robbed him of the opportunity of visiting his homeland of India with the WWE Title. Check it out:
– As noted, tonight’s WWE SmackDown saw WWE Champion AJ Styles defeat The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match, despite a pre-match attack from Jinder Mahal. WWE posted this video of the beatdown continuing during the commercial break:
– WWE has confirmed that the Fatal 4 Way on next week’s RAW will feature Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander. As noted, the winner of that Fatal 4 Way will face Rich Swann the next week with the winner going on to face WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore the following week.
– Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley took to Twitter tonight and tweeted the following after Mojo turned on Ryder following their loss to Rowan & Harper in a rematch from last week’s loss.
– It looks like the upcoming WWE Clash of Champions pay-per-view may see WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin defend against Bobby Roode. Tonight’s WWE SmackDown saw Roode issue a challenge to Corbin but Corbin turned him down. Below is video from that segment:
– Tonight’s SmackDown also saw WWE Champion AJ Styles defeat The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match, despite a pre-match attack from Jinder Mahal. Styles tweeted the following after the match and commented on his upcoming match with Jinder at WWE Clash of Champions:
Tried beating me 3 on 1… Couldn’t do it 2 on 1…. …And at #WWEClash you will NEVER beat me 1 on 1. #Phenomenal#SDLive
– Ruby Riot revealed on tonight’s SmackDown that her stable with Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan will be called The Riott Squad. The trio later defeated Naomi and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair after Natalya walked out on her partners. As seen below, Naomi was stretchered out after being double teamed by Liv and Logan.
– As we’ve noted, WWE Champion AJ Styles will be taking on The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap match. Samir Singh and Sunil Singh cut a promo on “The Phenomenal One” ahead of their match-up, which WWE posted on their official Twitter page:
– Below is a promo for this week’s WWE SmackDown episode, featuring WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match plus Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton:
– WWE taped the following matches tonight in Knoxville, TN for this week’s Main Event episode:
* Apollo Crews vs. Curt Hawkins
* Kalisto and Gran Metalik vs. Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick
– Paige revealed on tonight’s RAW that “Absolution” is the name for her new group with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. RAW was supposed to feature Absolution vs. Sasha Banks, Mickie James and Bayley but the match never happened as Bayley and Mickie were taken out backstage. Absolution faced off with Sasha in the ring and triple teamed her after offering her the chance to pledge allegiance to the group. Below is video from tonight’s segment:
It looks like @SashaBanksWWE would rather try and fight than pledge allegiance to @RealPaigeWWE… #RAWpic.twitter.com/weFYElCssf
– As we’ve previously reported, WWE Champion AJ Styles will be defending his title against Jinder Mahal in the main event of WWE’s Clash Of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) next month in December. “The Phenomenal One” took to Twitter to react to the news:
Being a champion isn’t a one day job. You can’t take shortcuts to be the man. So you and your mini Maharajas better be ready for #WWEClash…
– The Gobbledy Gooker returned to WWE TV last night on WWE 205 Live during a segment with WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore and more. WWE posted a video of the Gooker, who is played by Drew Gulak, giving tips for a better Thanksgiving:
– The tension between The Hype Bros is back, as seen in this new SmackDown Fallout video from tonight. Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder argued backstage after their loss to Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, who returned as The Bludgeon Brothers.
– Next week’s WWE SmackDown in Lexington, Kentucky will feature Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens plus The Singh Brothers vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. Next Tuesday’s show will also see the return of The Fashion Files with Breezango.
– As noted, WWE NXT Superstars Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan made their main roster debuts on tonight’s SmackDown by destroying Naomi and Becky Lynch backstage. They later interfered in the SmackDown Women’s Title match between Natalya and champion Charlotte Flair, as seen below. The segment ended with the three taking out Natalya and Flair, then standing tall.
Jinder Mahal confirmed on tonight’s WWE SmackDown that he will get his rematch from WWE Champion AJ Styles at the upcoming Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
Clash of Champions takes place on December 17th from the TD Garden in Boston.
Below are photos and video from tonight’s segment, which ended with AJ taking out The Singh Brothers after they sneak attacked him:
It has been advertised for the past few days that WWE Champion AJ Styles would be rematching Jinder Mahal for the title in a Houston Street Fight. This comes just days after Styles’ epic clash with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series on pay-per-view (PPV). It seems as though WWE has cancelled the plans to have Mahal and Styles rematch tonight.
WWE.com issued a preview for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live and teased whether or not Styles and “The Maharaja” would “cross paths” – making no mention of a match between the two:
“Will AJ Styles cross paths with Jinder Mahal after tangling with The Beast?
“Although WWE Champion AJ Styles failed to conquer Universal Champion Brock Lesner at Survivor Series, he left WWE’s second-longest running pay-per-view looking phenomenal after a gutsy effort. Nevertheless, Styles may have no time to reflect on his hard-fought showdown against The Conqueror.
“Last week, former titleholder Jinder Mahal made no bones about his intentions to come after the WWE Champion once Lesnar was done with him. Will Styles and the former titleholder cross paths tonight? And if they do, considering the beatdown that the Phenomenal One has already endured this week, will he be in any condition to repel an assault from The Modern Day Maharaja?”
This week’s Smackdown will be headlined by AJ Styles defending his newly won WWE Championship against former champion, Jinder Mahal.
Last night at Survivor Series, Tom Phillips announced that Jinder will be cashing in his rematch clause on Tuesday night. This makes perfect sense for Jinder to do from a kayfabe perspective as Styles will only be 2 days removed from facing Brock Lesnar.
Before Styles vs. Lesnar at Survivor Series last night, Jinder cut a pre-taped promo saying he was cheering for Styles because he is from Smackdown but is hoping Lesnar hurts Styles because he wants his title back.
Jinder and AJ have met in single’s action twice before. In May, Jinder defeated Styles on an episode of Smackdown and 2 weeks ago AJ defeated Jinder for the WWE title on the Smackdown from Manchester.
Paul Heyman had some strong praise for WWE Champion AJ Styles after AJ’s loss to WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. (Video below)
Heyman says he’s shocked at the loss because he’s been a fan of AJ before you were supposed to be a fan of AJ. Heyman says AJ is more phenomenal than he’s supposed to be, and if you”re not a fan of AJ then you shouldn’t be watching WWE. Heyman says AJ is what WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels were to their generations, but he’s updated it and evolved their styles to truly be the single most phenomenal in-ring performer Heyman has ever had the honor and pleasure of watching up-close. Heyman says he’s been doing this his entire life but no one has done anything in the ring that compared to what he saw at Survivor Series.
Heyman says he has nothing but respect and admiration for AJ, which is why he thanked God when the match was made against Lesnar because it’s one thing to eat through an entire division but it’s another thing to step into the ring with AJ and show the world that you can conquer those hopes, those dreams, that intensity, that underdog.
Heyman says yes, Rocky lost at the end of the movie but he won the respect of the woman he loved. And AJ Styles continues to earn our respect every time he performs. Heyman says AJ just didn’t just perform, he fought and took the fight to The Beast like very few have. Heyman goes on and praises Lesnar as the reigning, defending, undisputed, #1 champion – then, now and forever.
– As noted, tonight’s WWE Survivor Series Kickoff pre-show saw WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore retain over Kalisto. Below is Fallout video of Enzo celebrating the win. Enzo says tomorrow night on RAW he thinks a celebration is in order because this isn’t the first time he has defied the odds. Enzo teases something big for RAW tomorrow as The Zo Train rolls through.
– Jinder Mahal appeared on tonight’s WWE Survivor Series Kickoff pre-show to taunt WWE Champion AJ Styles and later did a sidebar interview before AJ’s loss to WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. It was noted that Jinder is requesting his rematch for the WWE Title at Tuesday’s SmackDown from Houston.
– MLB player Josh Reddick of the Houston Astros and rapper Travis Scott were among those in attendance for tonight’s Survivor Series pay-per-view from the Toyota Center. Below is backstage video of Reddick and a ringside photo of Scott:
Survivor Series is tomorrow night and the WWE has put together quite the card for professional wrestling fans. One of the premiere match-ups on the card is a bout between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW commentator Booker T recently took to his Houston sports radio show, Heated Conversations, to give his thoughts on the match.
The former WCW World Champion expressed his displeasure for the pairing, and also praised the now-former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal’s run. Here are the highlights:
AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar:
“As far as AJ Styles [vs.] Brock Lesnar; I don’t like that matchup. I don’t like that matchup. You know, Brock Lesnar is a beast. We know AJ Styles, they don’t call him the Phenomenal One for nothing… the guy is actually that good. But to step up to Brock Lesnar’s level, it’s almost like a middleweight going up against a heavyweight. A heavyweight that can move like a middleweight. So, that’s why I don’t like the balance of that one right there.”
Jinder Mahal:
“I think Jinder Mahal has had a great run. I think Jinder Mahal has brought legitimacy to the championship. I think with Jinder Mahal as champion, people look at the WWE Championship now as, you know, we gotta get the title off this guy. It’s almost like that Iron Sheik when he had it back in the day, and Hogan had to get it off of him. Drop the big leg drop, bring America the title back home. I like this dynamic. It’s almost like when Sgt. Slaughter had his heel run. People hated him. I love it. This is professional wrestling, what he’s doing… Jinder Mahal has done a great job, and I think he’s been a great champion.”
You can listen to Booker T on Heated Conversations by clicking here.
On the latest episode of the E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, WWE Hall Of Famer Edge commented on WWE’s decision to have AJ Styles capture the WWE Championship from Jinder Mahal last week on SmackDown.
An 11-time World Champion in his own right, Edge gave some insight on why he thinks WWE booking the title change for SmackDown instead of a big PPV.
“It’s pretty cool,” Edge admitted. “It feels a little hot-shotted. I’m not going to lie, after the buildup of Jinder and everything. I just kind of assumed [the title change] would be at ‘Mania.”
Additionally, “The Rated-R Superstar” speculated about the real reason why WWE may have booked the title change when they did.
“I think there [are] probably a few factors that go in. I think USA [Network] was debuting a new TV series after. And while some of you may scoff and say, ‘WWE wouldn’t change their business for that,’ yes, they would. The Shooter was debuting and they stacked the 900th episode of SmackDown. That’s why I was there. That’s why Taker was there. They’ll do those things because they’re on the USA Network and USA Network asks for a favor, so they’ll do them a favor.”
On a recent edition of former WWE Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, the duo discussed AJ Styles’ recent WWE Title victory over Jinder Mahal on an episode of SmackDown Live. The pair discussed the big title change occurring on a taping in the UK, Styles now taking on Brock Lesnar on short notice, expectations for their Survivor Series match, and so much more. You can check out the highlights here below:
Christian on UK fans getting to see a big title change:
“I think it was a pretty big moment and I think it was the right guy to do it with,” Christian said. “And I think it was kind of shocking. I don’t think anybody was expecting it, especially with the build they’ve been doing with Jinder and Brock, I don’t think anybody expected it. But do you know what? It’s good to reward the fans over there with a big moment like that because they always show up over there in the U.K., in Europe. They’re always big crowds and they’re diehards. They support it and they love it and it’s good that they get rewarded with a big moment like that. It was a shocking moment, so it was pretty cool.”
Edge on Styles replacing Mahal on short-notice for Survivor Series:
“It’s pretty cool,” Edge admitted. “It feels a little hot-shotted. I’m not going to lie, after the buildup of Jinder and everything. I just kind of assumed [the title change] would be at ‘Mania.”
Edge on the title change likely happening because of the premiere of USA Network’s new show, Damnation:
“I think there [are] probably a few factors that go in. I think USA [Network] was debuting a new TV series after. And while some of you may scoff and say, ‘WWE wouldn’t change their business for that,’ yes, they would. The Shooter was debuting and they stacked the 900th episode of SmackDown. That’s why I was there. That’s why Taker was there. They’ll do those things because they’re on the USA Network and USA Network asks for a favor, so they’ll do them a favor.”
Christian on AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar:
“People were complaining about it, but he’s a legit heel. People don’t want to see him win. And I know [Edge] said it might have been hot-shotted. It might have been, but it was also one of those things where people weren’t expecting it and that’s hard to do. So in that case, I like it. I think AJ and Brock will be a pretty awesome match.
“It can be seen as maybe a little bit quick. It is one of the ‘big four’ pay-per-views, right? Survivor Series? It is one of the main shows. It gives it a little bit more oomph to that show.”
Edge on Styles vs. Lesnar needing to happen at one of The Big Four:
“I’m not a big fan of giving away the big matches on I don’t want to say throwaway pay-per-views because they’re not, don’t get me wrong. If there’s going to be this match, I’m happy that at least it’s on one of the big pay-per-views, one of the original four.”
You can listen to the E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.
Since defeating Goldberg at Wrestlemania 34, Brock Lesnar has been considered a dominant Universal Champion who shouldn’t fear many other superstars. And when looking at some of the facts and figures, it’s hard to disagree.
Lesnar stands second in the table of longest world title reigns at 231 days, with CM Punk’s WWE Championship topping the list at 434 days. It’s also worth noting that both AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar became 2 time WWE Champions within 2 years of joining WWE.
However there are 2 other sets of statistics that creates even more anticipation.
Brock Lesnar has never been defeated in a 1-1 match that features a new opponent since Goldberg in 2012.
Brock Lesnar has never won at Survivor Series.
So whether Lesnar wins or not, history will be made on Sunday’s Survivor Series. If AJ Styles wins, he would have become the first person since 2012 to defeat Brock Lesnar in their first 1-1 attempt. If Brock Lesnar wins though, he’ll have broken his Survivor Series Curse which currently stands at 3 defeats out of 3 appearances.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look back at those 3 defeats to remind ourselves that Lesnar may not be invincible as his recent dominance has shown.
2002 – Brock Lesnar VS The Big Show
“Brock Lesnar’s never been pinned; Brock Lesnar’s never submitted.” (Michael Cole’s commentary during this match)
This match lasted 4 minutes 18 seconds, it is surprisingly short. But it contains a shocking betrayal at it’s heart which prevents Brock from securing the win after performing an F5 on The Big Show. Paul Heyman pulls the referee out of the ring while he is counting Brock’s pin. The Big Show then uses a steel chair, that Heyman introduced to the ring, to defeat Brock Lesnar and gain the WWE title.
Thankfully this is ancient history for Brock Lesnar, and Paul Heyman won’t be interfering – at least not to help AJ Styles. I would count this as an unfortunate defeat for Lesnar as it wasn’t necessarily his fault, he was stabbed in the back by those around him.
The other bonus for Brock is that AJ Styles won’t weight the same as The Big Show, so performing an F5 on The Phenomenal One should be easier!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4aLwOR2WYI
2003 – Team Angle VS Team Lesnar
Survivor Series 2003 is an example of Brock Lesnar losing clean. Not only does he submit, his whole team loses.
Team Lesnar: Brock Lesnar, The Big Show, A-Train, Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan
Team Angle: Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, JBL, Hardcore Holly, John Cena
Hardcore Holly got disqualified early on in the match, beginning the comeback tale. Cue a mid-match surge from Kurt Angle and a Crippler Crossface from Chris Benoit on Brock Lesnar, with a John Cena finish and there is the underdog team winning in a crowd pleasing fashion.
The key factor here: John Cena. Lesnar made a play early on to get Cena on his team which didn’t work out as Cena solidified himself as a face within the company, joining Team Angle.
Sunday’s Survivor Series match was carded as Heel Champion vs Heel Champion with Jinder Mahal; however it has now become Heel Champion vs Face Champion, giving the crowd a clear direction for their support which should help create an entertaining atmosphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ2kFGda9i4
2016 – Brock Lesnar VS Goldberg
It seems like only yesterday. A highly anticipated showdown, with a build up to match it, and it was over in a flash. It’s almost the opposite to Brock’s match this year, which has had minimal build up in comparison due to the late change to the card.
While this match in 2016’s Survivor Series was another clean defeat, it started Brock on a path that would end up leading him to WrestleMania 33 and the Universal Championship. In the grand scheme, this was a necessary defeat to enable a greater overall victory and dominant reign.
Within the WWE Universe, it’s clear to say that lack of preparation and strategy lead to Lesnar’s demise. Since AJ Styles is very different to the likes of Goldberg, Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns, Brock will want to make sure he’s done his homework.
In theory is appears as though Lesnar would be able to send AJ to Suplex City with an express ticket, which suggests that Styles will adopt a long-play game plan. I do see Brock VS AJ Styles lasting over 15 minutes as AJ will look to tire out Brock rather than throwing the kitchen sink at him. If AJ wins, I wouldn’t be surprised if it came through a submission.
Chris Jericho recently had an interview with Viktre.com during which he revealed the sad story behind his first WWE title win. According to Jericho, not only there was no celebration after his victory but he had to spend the night alone in his hotel room eating a cold and fuzzy pizza:
“I was told in the afternoon that I was going to win when Vince McMahon said to The Undertaker at the catering table: ‘Hey ‘Taker, how do you know the business is going down the toilet? Because we’re putting the belt on Jericho’ and that’s how I found out I was going to be the champion, I came back through the curtain, everyone was gone because when you’re on last everybody leaves to get out of the traffic quicker. Sat there by myself and then drove to a hotel where room service stopped at midnight, it was 11:58. They wouldn’t serve it, so I got pizza. They wouldn’t bring it to my room, so I had to go down to the lobby to get it. When I went back up, I was locked out. Went back down to the lobby, the guy wouldn’t let me in even though I just checked in a few minutes earlier. Dropped the pizza on the floor when he finally did let me in. So, I spent the night being the first undisputed champion eating cold, fuzzy pizza in a Ramada Inn somewhere in Anaheim, California. So, no hookers and blow there, kids.”
– WWE posted the following slow-motion video of the match between AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal from last week’s episode of SmackDown Live which saw Styles winning the WWE title for the second time in his career:
