Despite being two of WWE’s most exciting performers, the 2017 AJ Styles/Kevin Owens feud never really delivered in the ring. A fine match at Backlash was soured by a dumb count-out finish, while their Battleground rematch will ultimately be remembered for its unfortunate conclusion.
The finish was a complete shambles.
Owens, the challenger, rolled out of a crossface and into a cradle. AJ was supposed to kick out and retain, but the dazed referee counted the 1, 2, 3, and while the immediate speculation suggested the result had been changed on the fly, consensus later revealed that it had been a massive botch.
Styles was supposedly livid with the official afterwards, even though it was entirely his fault. He neglected to kick out, and the belt he’d won just two weeks prior was gone. AJ did regain it two days later on SmackDown.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
