WWE WrestleMania 35 Results: AJ Styles is SmackDown’s true landlord

Randy Orton and AJ Styles were always destined to collide on the big stage one day, and at WWE WrestleMania 35, this grudge match had a chance to be one of the best matches in either man’s illustrious career.

To Randy Orton, AJ Styles is nothing more than an “Indy” guy who will never accomplish what he has in WWE. But to Styles, Orton is entitled and completely overlooking his achievements, which include two WWE Championship reigns. At WWE WrestleMania 35, the two met inside the squared circle one-on-one for the second time in their careers, ready to prove once and for all who the better man is.

Orton got off to a hot start, as expected, bullying Styles around the ring and slowing the pace to his style. The Viper used the barricade to drop Styles’s back and started bearing down on AJ’s hair, using holds to tire out the quicker, smaller opponent.

Styles started to find some life, though, and it’s clear that this incredible matchup would take a while and be evenly matched. However, it seemed like Styles tweaked his left knee, as Corey Graves pointed out on commentary.

Of course, Styles’s advantage didn’t last too long, as he was hit with a vicious, vintage powerslam from The Apex Predator. Styles mounted yet another attack shortly there after, but Orton, whose own knee was tweaked, fought back. Critically, Orton scouted a Calf Crusher attempt, and he stomped on Styles.

Randy teased an Elevated DDT, but Styles scouted it all the way and saw his opportunity at the Calf Crusher. And Orton sold it beautifully, screaming in agony before finally getting to the ropes, and this could be a game-changing moment in the match for The Phenomenal One.

The chess match continued, with Styles scouting Orton attempting to pluck a Phenomenal Forearm out of the air with an RKO. Orton crashed and burned, and Styles jumped on him with a 450 for a nearfall. He tried to follow that up with another big move, the Phenomenal Foremar, but Orton rolled through.

When Orton went after Styles with a superplex from the top rope, the crowd cringed in unison at the impact. And that’s exactly what Orton does. He then decked AJ with a nasty uppercut, nearly sending The Phenomenal One out of the ring. Orton went for an Elevated DDT and started playing into the crowd for an RKO.

But Styles countered it into a Pele Kick after Orton took too much time!

Styles went for a roll up, but he was met with an RKO…and AJ kicked out of the RKO!

Well, Orton went back to the top rope again, plopping Styles at the top and teasing an Avalanche RKO. And, once again, he got hit with a Pele Kick for it!

Styles followed that up with a BIG Phenomenal Forearm the outside and dragged Orton back into the ring, wanting to pin his latest great rival.

The counters started coming thick and fast, but Styles finally hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the 1-2-3!

Styles is your winner, and does this mean that he is the one true landlord of SmackDown Live? After all the trash Orton talked, this has to be a tough loss for him psychologically, and the win puts Styles in a position to potentially challenge Kofi Kingston, should he win, for the WWE Championship after WWE WrestleMania 35.