AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan the Real Best Match Ever, More WWE SmackDown Fallout

Friday's edition of SmackDown was certainly a focused event. Almost half the show's run time was spent on one match: AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan.

The WWE Intercontinental Championship clash was not just a showcase of two of the best in the world today but also one of the best matches of 2020.

Now that The Phenomenal One is WWE intercontinental champion, he must focus on making the most of the reign. He has held nearly every title in the business, and it is starting to grow stale.

The show opened with a controversial segment wherein Sheamus and Jeff Hardy went all out in a contract signing. The Celtic Warrior mocked and belittled The Charismatic Enigma for his repeated failings, leading to an awkward finish.

King Corbin got involved in the main event despite not being included in the six-man tag team match. His feud with Otis has been odd but could work out in the favor of Mr. Money in the Bank.

This show was focused on pushing forward SmackDown. A new champion was crowned, and new feuds plowed ahead. It was a mixed event with much left to discuss.

Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles Delivers More Than WWE Backlash Is Likely To

Credit: WWE.com

In the biggest match of the night, AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan fought for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The two men went all out in a contest that went past the 30-minute mark. In the end, a Styles Clash and Phenomenal Forearm sealed the win for The Phenomenal One.

As WWE approaches the 2020 edition of Backlash on Sunday, the tagline has been "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever", referring to Randy Orton vs. Edge. It is obvious that is more of a selling point than a promise, but Styles and Bryan just put on one of the best matches of the year.

It feels misguided that this contest did not to happen on the pay-per-view. Instead of being highlighted, the two went on in the middle of the broadcast but stole the show all the same.

Edge and Orton just are not in peak condition to follow this. No amount of editing is going to convince fans that The Rated-R Superstar and The Viper are better wrestlers than two of the greatest in the business right now.

Hopefully, the blue brand is focused more on putting on matches like this going forward. The time the two got mattered, and it shone through in their performance.

AJ Styles Works as a Short-Term Intercontinental Champion

While the match was good, the result of the contest was questionable. Daniel Bryan made more sense as a long-term intercontinental champion. He could have carried the title for months and fought many deserving talents along the way.

Instead, fans will likely get the same tired heel AJ Styles run as he had with the WWE United States Championship, during which he dodged real challenges. While The Phenomenal One is a great wrestler, he is also put in this position too often. It lacks any focus.

This can work but only if Styles is in this spot to put over someone else. That could be stars who worked hard in the recent Battle Royal like Shorty G or even Jey Uso. It could also be a way to establish underutilized talents such as Drew Gulak, Elias or Big E.

A fresh perspective is essential to make this run work. For now, SmackDown must spotlight and run with Styles, hopefully forcing him to regularly put his title on the line against worthy competitors.

As long as he is wrestling and not talking, this can be a strong reign with the WWE Intercontinental Championship, a title Styles had never won to this point.

Sheamus, Jeff Hardy Storyline Is Distateful and Lacks Real Purpose

Sheamus and Jeff Hardy had a contract signing for their WWE Backlash match, but The Celtic Warrior had other plans. He brought a doctor into the ring to demand a urine test in order to confirm The Charismatic Enigma was not under the influence. The segment quickly turned into a messy brawl.

This whole angle fell off the rails quickly. Sheamus is hammering home Hardy's previous substance-abuse issues to the point of absurdity. It is tactless and not entertaining television.

This may be an attempt to sell The Charismatic Enigma's road to recovery, but it has not worked. The story is lifeless. The match at Backlash should be fine. It just carries too little weight. What is the point of all this beyond highlighting Hardy's past mistakes?

Both men deserve a better story. This is a clash of veterans with more than three decades of experience between them. WWE can do so much more with them. Even if the stories are getting people talking, it is not for the right reasons.

The best thing we can all hope for is that Hardy wins quickly and definitively. That is highly unlikely. Shenanigans selling the story are far more likely.

King Corbin May Be Unexciting but Can Help Otis Rise

During the six-man tag main event, King Corbin and Otis got into a brawl backstage, which almost cost the latter's team the match. He managed to take out The King and head to the ring in time to hit the Caterpillar on Dolph Ziggler for the win.

No one is excited about Corbin in a top angle. However, this is a rare moment when it might be the right move. Otis is fresh off the biggest win of his career. He needs someone to help solidify him as a main event star on SmackDown.

The blue brand is overflowing with talent, but the level of stars varies wildly. Corbin is established, for better or worse, as one of the top heels in the company. If he goes down for the Heavy Machinery star, it solidifies Otis as a top contender.

Mandy Rose will play a part in proceedings. However, the heart of the story needs to be Otis defeating everyone on his way to a fair one-on-one world title match. Right now, he cannot sell the audience on his likelihood of winning that contest.

Once he defeats Corbin, he can walk into a battle with Braun Strowman or whoever dethrones The Monster Among Men without worry.