LA Knight ends a 98-day championship reign on WWE SmackDown

LA Knight challenged Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship in the main event of WWE SmackDown. He defeated Santos Escobar last week to earn the right to challenge for the title.

After the latest episode of RAW, SmackDown also saw a new champion get crowned after LA Knight ended Shinsuke Nakamura's 98-day United States Title run in what turned out to be a controversial finish. The King of Strong Style won the title at Survivor Series: Wargames on November 30, 2024.

During the title match, The King of Strong Style hit the challenger with a knee to the midsection. The Megastar hit a few strikes, and his opponent bailed to the floor. Nakamura planted Knight with a sliding German Suplex before nailing him with a bulldog off the top turnbuckle.

Shinsuke slammed LA Knight's face on the apron, and the latter slammed the former's face onto the announcers' table several times. LA got sent into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Shinsuke Nakamura hit a few kicks, and the two stars exchanged strikes. The Megastar hit a neckbreaker, powerslam, and an elbow drop for a two-count.

The King of Strong Style slammed LA Knight off the top rope and got a two-count. Shinsuke ran into a clothesline after going for a Kinshasa. Nakamura tried to use a steel chair, but Charles Robinson stopped him.

He accidentally blinded the referee with the red mist. LA nailed Shinsuke with the BFT onto a chair and won the match.

The ending to the match has left fans online divided.