WWE Backlash 2017 results: Kevin Owens vs AJ Styles video highlights
At WWE Backlash, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens battled for the United States Championship. Who walked out with the belt?
WWE Backlash had seven matches on the main card, but none was more star-studded than Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles for the United States Championship. This had been in place for over a month, as Styles won a No. 1 Contenders Match in April to earn this chance.
Owens is in the midst of his second U.S. Title run, having lost the belt at Payback and won it back on the following episode of SmackDown Live from Chris Jericho. So KO looked for his first successful defense on Sunday night.
Plenty of action went down in this match, but who walked out with the belt in hand?
Owens and Styles started steady, going for a few holds. KO then took over with a few stomps to the back and avoiding a dropkick from the Phenomenal One, who then got back up and pushed the champ into the corner of the ring.
Owens got into a groove near the mid-way point of the match. He hit a clothesline on his challenger, along with working in knees to the back. A DDT followed this, but Owens couldn’t get a pinfall.
The damage continued from the former NXT Champion, hitting multiple sentons to the gut of Styles. That’s over 250 pounds of Owens there, which likely can’t feel too good.
FACE FIRST into the canvas goes @FightOwensFight!! @AJStylesOrg is pulling out ALL the stops at #WWEBacklash! pic.twitter.com/p21xmMF28M
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 22, 2017
Styles finally came back with a clothesline and running forearm for a near-fall. Following this was an inverted wheelbarrow, yet another innovative move from the former NJPW star. An Ushigoroshi almost gave him the successful fall.
Not One. Not Two..... But THREE SENTONS!!!!!! How much punishment can @AJStylesOrg take?! #WWEBacklash pic.twitter.com/ODA2nxVQuC
— WWE (@WWE) May 22, 2017
On the turnbuckle, Styles picked up Owens for a Styles Clash, but couldn’t complete the move and made him get sent into the steel steps. The Canadian star hit a cannonball once, then lined up the right leg and did it again, before putting on a single-leg crab.
Owens and Styles went to the top turnbuckle. They stood there for a moment, until the one-time WWE Champion hit a sunset flip powerbomb. Owens responded with a double-arm DDT, but then managed a Pele Kick, bad leg and all.
THIS. IS. AWESOME! #WWEBacklash #USTitle @FightOwensFight @AJStylesOrg pic.twitter.com/aCntDWu7Ub
— WWE (@WWE) May 22, 2017
It’s never good to be dropped onto the apron, right? Styles dropped Owens on it with a suplex, which grounded him for a time.
The match went to the announce table, but as Styles went for the Clash again, his injured right leg got caught in a part of the structure. Owens escaped into the ring for the countout win.
A countout will never be the ideal way of ending a match, especially one as good as this. However, it could mean we’re in for more between these two after WWE Backlash.