The man who will challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WWE Backlash France is official!
In the opening match of last night’s SmackDown, AJ Styles took on LA Knight in a rematch from WrestleMania XL. The match differed from their clash on The Grandest Stage Of Them All in that the winner would become the #1 Contender to the Undisputed WWE Championship.
While Knight emerged victorious in Philadelphia, Styles managed to even the score in their rematch after countering the BFT, poking Knight in the eye and hitting a Phenomenal Forearm to get the pinfall. In doing so, Styles will face Rhodes for the belt at WWE Backlash France in the latter’s first televised title defence.
Following Styles’ victory, it was announced that the champion and challenger would go face-to-face on next week’s edition of SmackDown, which will also be the first night of the 2024 WWE Draft, for a contract signing.
Cody Rhodes Compared AJ Styles To Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart
Cody Rhodes, meanwhile, did not appear in person on SmackDown as he is instead competing on WWE’s latest live event tour of the United Kingdom.
However, The American Nightmare still appeared on SmackDown via a pre-recorded video, filmed backstage at the WWE Live event at The O2 in London last night, in which he addressed Styles’ victory and even praised his upcoming opponent as the modern-day Bret Hart!
Back home, AJ Styles has emerged as the number one contender for the Undisputed Championship. Two Georgia boys duking it out in the heart of France, for the first time ever at that.
AJ Styles has an unprecedented reputation in the wrestling game. He is the modern Excellence of Execution. AJ Styles rarely misses. Well, I don’t miss either. Lyon, France — Backlash, I look forward to it.
After the show, Cody Rhodes reached out to a fan who had an upsetting experience at the event.
h/t to F4WOnline