WWE SmackDown Live Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for July 11

The New United States Champion Has Arrived

At the top of the hour, SmackDown Live begins with a brief video package that highlighted the Independence Day battle royal from last week. Also, the moment where AJ Styles won the United States Championship was shown from this past Friday. Once the show’s intro concluded, the Phenomenal One wasted little time making his way to the ring.

Rather than addressing Kevin Owens, Styles decided that the time had come to change focus. To him, the spotlight should on the United States Championship as opposed to the Prizefighter. Choosing to personify a fighting champion, the Phenomenal One stated that open challenges for the title will return. Offering any talent from the Blue Brand to rise to the occasion, the live audience gave a strong reaction when John Cena came down to the squared circle.

Expecting his request to challenge for the gold to be denied, Cena asked if the open challenge included everyone else on the roster besides him. Surprisingly, Styles accepted the offer, which led to a referee being brought down to the ring. The superstars were moments away from the start of the contest when Kevin Owens arrived on the scene.

Fuming over his loss to Styles, the Prizefighter immediately voiced his concerns with a microphone. Insulting both Cena and the new champion, he believed that no one cared about them and another match between the two was nothing to be excited about. In response, Cena asked Owens to come down to the ring and fight, but then Rusev struck Cena from behind. Catching the faces by surprise, Owens ran into the ring and attacked Styles, allowing he and Rusev to stand tall, which in turn ended the segment.