Date and location

Sunday, May 6 | 8 PMET/5 PMPT

Prudential Center
Newark, NJ

Where to watch

Get the Network

When to watch

Sunday, May 6 | 8 PMET/5 PMPT

Styles vs. Nakamura

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ended in a No Contest

NEWARK, N.J. — The hope was surely that a No Disqualification stipulation would allow AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura to finally settle their rivalry. But against all odds, the battle over The Phenomenal One’s WWE Championship ended in a dead heat when both Superstars found themselves down on the mat and unable to answer the referee’s count.

Nakamura had promised Styles would suffer a “knee to face” during their first meeting at WrestleMania. With that strategy having proved insufficient, Nakamura decided to expand his repertoire. Instead of knee-to-face, it was feet, and knees, and fists, and elbows, to every bit of exposed skin The King of Strong Style laid eyes on. The mixed-martial-arts veteran turned his opponent into a human striking dummy for minutes on end, only bringing in an implement when he was sure that Styles was too beaten down to respond.

Shinsuke Nakamura mercilessly slams AJ Styles onto a steel chair: WWE Backlash 2018 (WWE Network Exclusive)

WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura go to war in a ferocious No Disqualification Match: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The Phenomenal One answered with a strategy of his own: Chair to knee. The champion whipped the steel straight into Nakamura’s kneecap right as he was about to land the Kinshasa, giving him the first opening. Still fighting from behind in the No-DQ setting, Styles caught Nakamura’s latest weapon of choice: The low blow. Of course, Styles was free to respond in kind, and the champion dropped Nakamura with a below-the-belt uppercut of his own, bringing the match back down to an even keel.

Despite champion and challenger’s brief flirtation with an on-the-level slugfest, they both came to the simultaneous realization that going low had dealt the most damage. Unfortunately for them, they were a bit too much in sync at this point. Styles and Nakamura each landed simultaneous field-goal kicks to the nether regions, dropping both men to the mat. And there they stayed, unable to answer the referee’s 10-count, bringing the match to a No Contest.

While the result is a bit of just desserts for Nakamura, the fact remains that he did not lose to AJ Styles, and a rematch could be very much in play. It’s unsure what else these opponents could do to each other at this point, but if given the opportunity, it’s safe to say they will figure it out.

NEWARK, N.J. — The hope was surely that a No Disqualification stipulation would allow AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura to finally settle their rivalry. But against all odds, the battle over The Phenomenal One’s WWE Championship ended in a dead heat when both Superstars found themselves down on the mat and unable to answer the referee’s count.

Nakamura had promised Styles would suffer a “knee to face” during their first meeting at WrestleMania. With that strategy having proved insufficient, Nakamura decided to expand his repertoire. Instead of knee-to-face, it was feet, and knees, and fists, and elbows, to every bit of exposed skin The King of Strong Style laid eyes on. The mixed-martial-arts veteran turned his opponent into a human striking dummy for minutes on end, only bringing in an implement when he was sure that Styles was too beaten down to respond.

Shinsuke Nakamura mercilessly slams AJ Styles onto a steel chair: WWE Backlash 2018 (WWE Network Exclusive)

WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura go to war in a ferocious No Disqualification Match: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The Phenomenal One answered with a strategy of his own: Chair to knee. The champion whipped the steel straight into Nakamura’s kneecap right as he was about to land the Kinshasa, giving him the first opening. Still fighting from behind in the No-DQ setting, Styles caught Nakamura’s latest weapon of choice: The low blow. Of course, Styles was free to respond in kind, and the champion dropped Nakamura with a below-the-belt uppercut of his own, bringing the match back down to an even keel.

Despite champion and challenger’s brief flirtation with an on-the-level slugfest, they both came to the simultaneous realization that going low had dealt the most damage. Unfortunately for them, they were a bit too much in sync at this point. Styles and Nakamura each landed simultaneous field-goal kicks to the nether regions, dropping both men to the mat. And there they stayed, unable to answer the referee’s 10-count, bringing the match to a No Contest.

While the result is a bit of just desserts for Nakamura, the fact remains that he did not lose to AJ Styles, and a rematch could be very much in play. It’s unsure what else these opponents could do to each other at this point, but if given the opportunity, it’s safe to say they will figure it out.