5 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Sept 12)

3. Dillinger Shines In Defeat

AJ Styles vs. Tye Dillinger was an excellent match for one that barely broke seven minutes in length. The duo did everything they could within the limited timescale, and really, the only disappointment is that they weren’t given longer.

‘The Perfect 10’ was allowed to shine against the United States champion, and wasn’t just restricted to hope spots. He worked over AJ several times throughout the bout, and the crowd were into his struggle, biting heavily on a late match near-fall.

But this was just a filler defence, and he was never walking away with the gold.

Styles’ inevitable victory came when he rolled his opponent into a Calf Crusher, forcing him to tap out. It was exactly the kind of fun, fast-paced title defence that the champ should be having on a weekly basis, particularly if it gets guys like Dillinger on television.

Next week will see Baron Corbin challenge for the belt, as ‘The Lone Wolf’ laid Tye and AJ out post-match. Baron’s in-ring shortcomings mean it probably won’t be half as enjoyable as this was, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed regardless.