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WWE announced that AJ Styles will defend his Intercontinental title against Matt Riddle this week on SmackDown. Fans will be wondering if WWE will give the Original Bro a championship win so early on in his SmackDown career.
WWE handed him two wins out of two on SmackDown, which is only adding fuel to the fire that he could be in for a big push which could start with him winning the Intercontinental Championship.
Of course, WWE putting the title on Matt Riddle so early in his career could be a mistake, especially with little build, but it would be a nice surprise for fans!
With that being said and the two Superstars set to face off on the upcoming episode of SmackDown, here are five possible outcomes for the match. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us who you think will win when all is said and done.
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#5 Match doesn't start as Matt Riddle is attacked on SmackDown
It is very interesting that WWE would put Matt Riddle in an Intercontinental title match so close to Extreme Rules and it begs the question whether this is to set up something bigger. At this point in time, a loss is something both men cannot afford at the moment.
One creative way to do that would be to have Styles, or another heel, like King Corbin, attack Matt Riddle before the match, injuring him in the process.
If nothing else, this allows the company to do a match between the two at a bigger stage like SummerSlam and both men can avoid a loss on WWE TV. This is a match that deserves a bigger stage, especially with the title on the line.
#4 Double count-out
It's no secret that Matt Riddle and AJ Styles are going to put on a clinic in the upcoming episode of SmackDown. But how exactly do they end such a match without hurting both of the SmackDown Superstars? That's a hard question to answer and will take some booking magic from the higher ups in the company.
One way of doing this is obviously to have a double count-out finish to the match between two of SmackDown's finest. Not only does that allow both Superstars to put on an absolute masterclass, it will also leave fans wanting for more between the two, which will hopefully parlay into a highly requested dream match between the two Superstars.
In the end, this may not be a popular decision, however, it does benefit the former NXT Superstar in the long term and protects Styles from a momentum-killing defeat as well. Furthermore, it sets the two Superstars on a collision course somewhere down the line, which will be interesting to see play out.
#3 Matt Riddle wins
What if WWE is investing heavily in Matt Riddle? What if Vince McMahon really does see Matt Riddle as the "next big thing" and wants to go all-in on the new SmackDown Superstar? It's pretty safe to say that crazier things have happened and the company does have a recent history of putting over young, deserving Superstars.
Whether that happens next Friday night on SmackDown remains to be seen - but Riddle does have quite the winning streak right now. Furthermore, one of his two wins came from an upset against Styles, which proves he is more than capable of getting the job done.
This is probably a best case scenario for Riddle and would set him up for success in the future. It could also be an interesting nexus for the beginning of a feud with Baron Corbin, which has been rumored for some time. In the end, if Riddle can get the belt on SmackDown, it's going to mean big things are in his future.
#2 AJ Styles uses underhand tactics to steal a win
AJ Styles is one of the best heels on SmackDown and it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities for him to cheat Matt Riddle out of the title. Maybe Styles even distracts Riddle in some way, shape or form, which takes his attention away from the match and ultimately secures Riddle's defeat on SmackDown.
If nothing else, Styles cheating to win on SmackDown could be a turning point in the career of Matt Riddle and put him on the road to title gold. Fans will rally behind Riddle after his loss, while a match at Extreme Rules would be a much better place to crown him as champion as well.
In the end, Matt Riddle might lose a little bit of momentum in defeat, but it would be a lot more fulfilling to see him win the title at Extreme Rules or further down the line. Whether WWE decides to go in this direction or not remains to be seen, but it would make a better story to hold off on crowning Riddle champion.
#1 Baron Corbin interferes
Baron Corbin has been a thorn in Matt Riddle's side every since he appeared on SmackDown, but hasn't really succeeded in stopping him. Beyond that, it seems like Corbin is jealous of Riddle's early success on the Blue brand, which could lead to some kind of confrontation next week.
An interference by the former King of the Ring winner does run the risk of temporarily knocking Riddle out of the title picture for the time being, but it would be a nice feud to revisit later. In fact, Riddle finally being able to shut up one of his most vocal critics and then winning the belt afterwards would be a huge momentum boost for him.
WWE could go in several directions with this particular match and they will have some time to think about it. Hopefully WWE decides to put the belt on Matt Riddle next week on SmackDown, but not doing so could be just as interesting to watch as Riddle is still very fresh and at the start of his main roster career.
