Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles came face-to-face last night on SmackDown ahead of their Intercontinental Championship Tournament finals match next Friday, and while they didn't come to blows, The Phenomenal One did end up catching a beating.
Bryan and Styles went back and forth on the mic, touching on their different views (they're both on polar opposites of the political spectrum) and what being the IC Champion means to them. Daniel said that if he wins he will defend the title each and every week against anyone who wants an opportunity, while Styles would almost certainly take a more cowardly approach and only put the gold on the line occasionally against a major star.
In a bid to prove Bryan wrong, AJ agreed to face Drew Gulak in a match, and it turned out to be a bad decision.
After a decent bout, Styles' cocky attitude cost him when he attempted a somewhat nonchalant Styles Clash and The Philadelphia Stretcher countered into a bridging pin to score the victory.