Tonight’s SmackDown saw Commissioner Shane McMahon make Bryan vs. Styles after interrupting an in-ring argument between the two.
This was WWE’s way of working around Bryan refusing to go to Saudi Arabia. Styles retained his title over Daniel Bryan and Joe attacked both men after the match and AJ later talked SmackDown General Manager Paige into making the match for Friday. So Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles is now official for Friday’s WWE Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
Bryan vs. AJ was originally scheduled for Crown Jewel but Bryan is not making the trip, presumably due to the controversy surrounding WWE’s relationship with the Kingdom following the state-sponsored death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Joe has been out of action with an undisclosed injury since his October 9 World Cup qualifier loss to Jeff Hardy on SmackDown. He lost to Styles in a WWE Title match at Super Show-Down in Australia a few days before that.
#WWEChampion @AJStylesOrg wants @SamoaJoe at #WWECrownJewel…and he’s going to get him! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/6o90OVBdku— WWE (@WWE) October 31, 2018
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