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WWE Smackdown: AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan battle for WWE title

By Wade Sheridan

Oct. 31 (UPI) -- AJ Styles defended his WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan on Smackdown Live in a match that was supposed to take place Friday at Crown Jewel.

Smackdown commissioner Shane McMahon allowed the match to take place right after Bryan had confronted Styles in the ring to kickoff Smackdown.

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Styles, who was backed by his hometown fans in Atlanta, was taken to the limit by Bryan who appeared to be hell bent on becoming the new WWE Champion. The Yes Man, however, was hindered early on when he tweaked his left knee after nailing Styles with a Suicide Dive.

The Phenomenal One took advantage of the situation and continued to attack Bryan's left knee in order to gain an advantage. Bryan then resorted to placing Styles into a number of submission holds including his signature Yes Lock.

Styles weathered the submission holds and was able to win the match after he delivered a Styles Clash followed by the Calf Crusher, causing Bryan to tap out. Bryan, in a show of respect, congratulated Styles on the victory and shook his hand.

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Samoa Joe then suddenly arrived onto the scene and attacked both men. Joe placed Styles first into his Coquina Clutch before doing the same to Bryan. The Samoan Submission Machine then raised the WWE Championship above his head. Styles, backstage, demanded a match against Joe for this title at Crown Jewel which was granted by Smackdown general manager Paige.

Also on Smackdown, Big E of The New Day faced off against Cesaro in a Halloween-themed Trick or Street Fight which featured the ring being littered with jack-o-lanterns and weapons such as kendo sticks and tables.

The New Day had entered the match together dressed up as The Brood, a former trio of vampires including Edge, Christian and Gangrel who competed together in the WWE in the '90s.

New Day members Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston battled Cesaro's partners of Sheamus and Big Show outside the ring throughout the match, leading to Big Show forcing Woods to bob for apples and Big E to send Sheamus through a table.

Big E won the chaotic match after Woods channeled The Brood and spit fake blood into the face of Big Show. Big E did the same to Cesaro before delivering the Big Ending for the three count. Cesaro and Sheamus will be defending their Smackdown Tag Team Championships against The New Day at Crown Jewel.

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Other moments from Smackdown included United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defeating R-Truth; Smackdown Women's Champion Becky Lynch promising to defeat Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series; and Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy defeating Randy Orton and The Miz.

Orton, despite losing, delivered an RKO to Hardy, Mysterio and The Miz after the match. The four men will be competing in the World Cup Tournament at Crown Jewel.

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