2 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 15)

by Andy H Murray

1. An Apology Gone Awry

Kevin Owens Shane McMahon AJ Styles
WWE.com

Last week didn’t go so well for AJ Styles. With Shane McMahon installed as the special guest referee for his match with Kevin Owens, ‘The Phenomenal One’ accidentally booted the SmackDown Commissioner in the head when a brawl broke out. It wasn’t his fault, but he left his boss laying, and with a big title match looming, that’s not a good position to be in.

Styles issued a full apology last night. He hit the ring, called Shane out, and tried to mend fences, but questioned if McMahon would use it against him in Sunday’s match. KO then arrived to stir the pot, stating that there was no way the kick could’ve been an accident, before another fight broke out. The roles were reversed this time, and Owens blasted McMahon with a superkick, leaving all three men on uneasy ground.

The likeliest outcome is that Styles retains the United States Championship, and we get Owens vs. Shane somewhere down the line. Regardless of the predictability, this was a perfectly cromulent segment. The trio were strong on the microphone, and their escalating mind games add intrigue to what should be a solid rematch, particularly if AJ and KO are motivated to top the disappointment of their past two in-ring encounters.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.