AJ Styles vs. Mark Henry: Who did it better in faking retirement from WWE?

AJ Styles faked his retirement during the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown, launching a surprise attack on Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes to close the show. Fans were shocked after witnessing The Phenomenal One pulling off such an unpredictable move.

This segment was reminiscent of the moment from 2013, when Mark Henry, donning a salmon-colored suit, swerved the entire WWE Universe with his emotional "retirement" speech before shockingly taking out John Cena with a World's Strongest Slam.

While both segments featuring Styles and Henry were highly effective, The World's Strongest Man's fake retirement speech still stands out as one of the best swerves in WWE history. One major factor for that was the sheer unpredictability. Mark Henry had not been featured for weeks before the show, making his retirement at that point in his career seem believable. Additionally, it was not yet the age of widespread internet spoilers and rumors, which allowed for a legitimate shock.

In contrast, the AJ Styles segment, though brilliant, carried a hint of predictability due to teases from the previous weeks. Additionally, spoilers on the internet had surfaced before the show, suggesting that something similar might happen.

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WWE could announce a major match for Clash at the Castle Scotland

AJ Styles completely outsmarted Cody Rhodes during the latest episode of WWE SmackDown. After luring him in with a fake retirement speech, The Phenomenal One shockingly took out The American Nightmare. Styles beat Rhodes down and delivered a devastating Styles Clash from the top of the steel steps on the ringside mat as the show went off the air.

Check out the clip of the segment below:

SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis had earlier refused Styles' request for a rematch against Rhodes after his loss at Backlash France. However, with this incident, Rhodes will undoubtedly look to get even.

This incident could prompt Aldis to grant Styles what he wants: a rematch against Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the upcoming Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event in Glasgow, Scotland.

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