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The July 17 edition of WWE SmackDown followed up this past Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view with the continuation of previous storylines along with a couple new developments as well.
The post-Extreme Rules edition of WWE SmackDown was an tremendous show that saw the fallout from Extreme Rules on full display along with potential new developments thrown in as well, including the potential next challenger for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
SummerSlam is still a full month away, but the blue brand is wasting no time directing traffic towards the biggest party of the summer. Let’s take a look at a few grades from the July 17 edition of WWE SmackDown.
5. AJ Styles vs. Andrade Cien Almas
One way that SmackDown separates itself from Raw is the number of intriguing matches it can serve up on a weekly basis. That rang true again last night when two of the most talented superstars in the entire company went head to head in the night’s first match.
Fresh off the heels of a successful WWE Championship defense against Rusev at Extreme Rules, there was no time to rest for AJ Styles and he faced off with newcomer Andrade Cien Almas last night in a match that had many in the WWE universe buzzing. It would be the first major opportunity on the main roster for Almas who was looking to leave his biggest mark to date.
Not only did these two put on a great match, but they probably put on one of the best TV matches of the year so far. The innovative offense in this match was outstanding at times, especially from Almas who broke out his full arsenal of weapons. There was even one point where he seemed like he was going to get the massive win, but The Phenomenal One’s veteran prowess took over in the end.
Styles locked Almas into the calf crusher and within just a few seconds, Almas tapped out. But the bigger picture is even in defeat, Almas looked like a legitimate world title threat. He is one of the most talented performers in the world and last night helped prove that to everybody. Maybe these two will cross paths again in the near future, who knows.
This was a great match that put Almas on the main roster map and also helped show why Styles is the WWE Champion.
Final Grade: A