WWE SmackDown Grades: Asuka Joins The Man And The Queen At TLC

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3. AJ Styles Segment

For 371 days, AJ Styles held the WWE Championship with pride and defended against all comers.  But in one fateful night, his title reign came to a shocking end at the hands of the new Daniel Bryan, who took Styles’ place against Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series as well.

The Phenomenal One missed Survivor Series and SmackDown last week, but his return last night was all about addressing the actions of Bryan.  Styles’ mood was all-business last night and you knew an intense promo was coming, and that would ring true rather quickly once Styles came out to the ring.

He said Bryan using a low blow to help win the WWE Championship wasn’t what bothered him, he said the post-match attack from Bryan was what did.  Because of that attack, Styles said he was not medically cleared to be at Survivor Series or SmackDown last week.  He had a few more choice words for Bryan and even compared him to Lesnar in a bad sense.

Styles said Bryan isn’t here tonight and wasn’t at the recent live events either, calling Bryan out for taking the Lesnar approach of not showing up.  He concluded everything by saying he will win the WWE Championship back at TLC.  This was a solid segment and promo, but it was rather basic in the sense that nothing crazy happened and everything went as expected.

Even at that, The Phenomenal One wasn’t taking this new side of the new WWE Champion lying down and he wants to win his title back at TLC.

Final Grade: B