AJ Styles Beats Daniel Bryan to Win WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament

AJ Styles defeated Daniel Bryan in the finals of a tournament on Friday's episode of SmackDown to win the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in his career.

The tournament was put in place four weeks ago when it was determined that then-IC champion Sami Zayn was unable to compete. With Zayn out of the picture, the title was vacated and put on the line in an eight-man tourney.

Both Styles and Bryan were the odds-on favorites on their respective sides of the bracket when the tournament started. That was especially true for the former since WWE went to great lengths to include him by trading him from Raw to SmackDown.

The veteran Superstars and former world champions made their way into the semifinals with impressive first-round wins. Bryan got past Drew Gulak in a technical classic, while Styles renewed his rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura and beat The King of Strong Style.

Things got interesting after that, as Styles was scheduled to face Elias in the semifinals and Bryan was supposed to face Jeff Hardy. That changed abruptly on May 29, however, when SmackDown opened in chaos with Elias laid out in the parking lot as a victim of an apparent hit-and-run.

Hardy was found in the bushes by police and arrested when a bottle of liquor and papers bearing his name were found in the vehicle that was involved in the accident.

As a result, Styles and Bryan were asked what they wanted to do. The Phenomenal One took the easy way out by accepting a bye to the finals, while his rival still wanted to compete. Bryan went on to face Sheamus, who won a 10-man Battle Royal to serve as Hardy's replacement.

Bryan beat Sheamus when Hardy returned to provide a distraction, which meant the finals were officially set in the form of Bryan vs. Styles.

Last week, Bryan and Styles addressed each other in a face-to-face confrontation. Bryan suggested The Phenomenal One was a coward for taking the easy route to the finals, while Styles took issue with Bryan giving out handouts.

Styles expressed his belief that Bryan befriending Gulak was a handout, and he challenged Gulak to a match in order to prove a point.

Shockingly, Gulak beat Styles with a bridge pin when Styles became preoccupied with Bryan outside the ring. With that loss, Styles entered Friday's match on a cold streak, while Bryan had momentum on his side thanks to his win over Sheamus.

The match between Styles and Bryan was a highly anticipated one since they are two of the best in-ring workers in the history of pro wrestling. Expectations were high, but it is fair to say they met and possibly even exceeded them.

Styles has now won nearly every major singles title in the company with the WWE and United States Championships already in his trophy case, and he has a huge opportunity to bring some prestige and importance back to the IC title.

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