WWE SmackDown: 5 Reasons why AJ Styles won the Intercontinental Championship

#1. It's a stepping stone to re-build him as the face of SmackDown

AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan in the opening sequence

When looking at some of the greatest names in SmackDown history, we think of legends such as Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Brock Lesnar in his first run, and a few others such as Batista, who had a short but massive impact on the brand while they were there.

AJ Styles belongs in that same conversation for the work he did on SmackDown between late July 2016 until April 2019. There was a lot of speculation for two years running that Styles' popularity and success would see him move to RAW, but WWE chose to make him stay on SmackDown, where he became the face of the brand.

He's now back where he belongs and with Gallows & Anderson gone, we can see a situation where he quietly turns face or remains a 'tweener at the very least. The Intercontinental Championship win might just be WWE's attempt to rebuild him as the face of SmackDown until his contract ends.

He's made it no secret that he signed his "last" WWE contract before retirement. Perhaps it's a long-term plan to help establish another Superstar.