AJ Styles defeats Shinsuke Nakamura in a back-and-forth match to retain WWE Championship

Multiple broken tables and multiple low blows? What a match.

AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had one of the best match endings at WrestleMania, with groin kicks for all. They’ve met in the ring three times since then and now, and the fifth match between them for this championship was always going to be one of the most anticipated Money in the Bank face offs. Especially since the last few matches between them ended with non-finishes.

They grappled to start, and AJ took the upper hand in the opening sequences with each guy trading elbow blows and AJ eventually flipping Shinsuke out of the ring. A flying hit out of the ring was enough for the ref to start his count while Shinsuke recovered, which he did just in time for AJ to repeatedly slam him into the barriers.

Shinsuke tossed AJ onto the diamond plate, which started a ref count on AJ, then Shinsuke slammed him into the barrier and threw him back into the ring. With AJ draped on the canvas, Shinsuke showed no mercy and did a flying kick into his neck as it hung over the ring.

AJ took a beating after that, with Shinsuke going after his head, chest, legs, and basically every part he could reach to injure AJ and slow him down. AJ attempted to get up but Shinsuke pinned him against the ropes with one leg and started vibrating.

But it didn’t work out quite like he planned, with AJ recovering his energy and driving the other competitor back into the center of the ring.

He didn’t have enough energy to maintain the counterattack though, eventually being driven out of the ring and slammed against the outside of the ring. Shinsuke methodically chased him down as he attempted to catch his breath and stomped him against the stairs before tossing him over the barrier into the audience area.

Shinsuke was clearly enjoying it too, relishing the blows as he pinned AJ to the outside crowd barriers. AJ wasn’t completely out of it, as he fought back with a few blows followed by multiple kicks to the face. He went to climb the barricade but Shinsuke swept his feet out from under him, sending him to the ground once again.

By this point it looked like AJ was fully exhausted, and another face slam on the steps didn’t help. Shinsuke got him back in the ring and delivered some truly insulting taps to the head with his feet as AJ was down.

AJ punched Shinsuke in the stomach, and Shinsuke responded by trying to toss the champion only for AJ to land on his feet. They punished each other enough that both men were down for the count for a while, looking like it was going to be another no decision.

Yet the champion then recovered his energy enough to fight back, with both men going down again. Shinsuke tried to punch AJ in the dick again (I love that we can say “again” about that) but AJ stepped back at the last minute, leaving the challenger to look worried and shocker on his knees in the ring.

AJ forearmed right across Shinsuke’s jaw when he tried to execute a move off the rope, and then hit him in the face again. He was down for a while but not enough for the win. Then it was AJ’s turn to try an off-the-ropes move only to get thwarted, with Shinsuke kicking him out of mid-air.

Shinsuke wasn’t done, tossing AJ out of the ring and over the barrier once again, and then onto a table. With AJ trying to recover once again, Shinsuke kneed him in the face and then slammed him into the outside of the ring multiple times, putting AJ back in the ring in an absolutely brutal state.

Amazingly, Shinsuke pulled out a table from underneath the ring and carried it into the ring without AJ seeing any of it because he was too busy stumbling around and attempting to catch his breath.

That gave the challenger plenty of time to set up the table and get AJ to the top of the ropes, ready to slam him into the table. But AJ turned the tables (heh) and got Shinsuke pinned against the turnbuckle, only for the power to change hands once again with AJ getting tossed into the side of the table — right on his ribs.

Shinsuke finished things by putting the table diagonally against the ropes and tossing AJ through it completely. It looked like AJ couldn’t get up from that but when the count reached nine AJ managed to get to his feet against. Leading to one of the best Shinsuke faces of the match.

With a turnbuckle exposed, Shinsuke tried to ram AJ into it but when he tried to ram AJ in the corner, AJ moved and Shinsuke rammed his knee into the exposed metal instead. Which ... ouch. AJ went directly after the injured knee after that, with Shinsuke rolling around in pain.

Even though the ref started his count, AJ wasn’t done. He went after the knee again with a painful-looking hold, and after that Shinsuke could barely even stand up to try and continue the fight. Eventually he got to both feet but immediately fell again, rolling out of the ring in agony only to get hit in the leg with a chair by AJ.

At this point, AJ was completely without mercy and hit Shinsuke over the head and body with the chair. Shinsuke had just enough energy to hit AJ in the balls again, managing to stand up and leaving AJ on the ground until a count of nine again. But once again, AJ stood up and continued to fit. At least until Shinsuke hit him with another running knee to the face.

Yet again, AJ was up just in the nick of time, getting to his feet and then crawling around to try and get away from the injured Shinsuke. The challenger cleared off the announcers’ table and had AJ in a position for a table slam but AJ took advantage of his weakened state to push him off the table and into the stairs, and then delivering a flying elbow while he was down.

It really looked like Shinsuke was down for the count after another slam from AJ, but he barely beat the count. It was so close the crowd didn’t believe the ref when he said things were still going.

Shinsuke asked for more from AJ while barely able to stand, and AJ granted him that wish with a hard kick right to the groin. He finally finished things off with a flying table slam off the top rope, which left both men down on the ground. Styles made it to his feet but Shinsuke didn’t, finally ending the match and keeping the WWE Championship with AJ Styles.

That was one of the best recent matches between the two, and something tells us there could be more rematches between them to see if Shinsuke can finally take the belt from AJ after such a brutal showdown.

Multiple broken tables and multiple low blows? What a match.

AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had one of the best match endings at WrestleMania, with groin kicks for all. They’ve met in the ring three times since then and now, and the fifth match between them for this championship was always going to be one of the most anticipated Money in the Bank face offs. Especially since the last few matches between them ended with non-finishes.

They grappled to start, and AJ took the upper hand in the opening sequences with each guy trading elbow blows and AJ eventually flipping Shinsuke out of the ring. A flying hit out of the ring was enough for the ref to start his count while Shinsuke recovered, which he did just in time for AJ to repeatedly slam him into the barriers.

Shinsuke tossed AJ onto the diamond plate, which started a ref count on AJ, then Shinsuke slammed him into the barrier and threw him back into the ring. With AJ draped on the canvas, Shinsuke showed no mercy and did a flying kick into his neck as it hung over the ring.

AJ took a beating after that, with Shinsuke going after his head, chest, legs, and basically every part he could reach to injure AJ and slow him down. AJ attempted to get up but Shinsuke pinned him against the ropes with one leg and started vibrating.

But it didn’t work out quite like he planned, with AJ recovering his energy and driving the other competitor back into the center of the ring.

He didn’t have enough energy to maintain the counterattack though, eventually being driven out of the ring and slammed against the outside of the ring. Shinsuke methodically chased him down as he attempted to catch his breath and stomped him against the stairs before tossing him over the barrier into the audience area.

Shinsuke was clearly enjoying it too, relishing the blows as he pinned AJ to the outside crowd barriers. AJ wasn’t completely out of it, as he fought back with a few blows followed by multiple kicks to the face. He went to climb the barricade but Shinsuke swept his feet out from under him, sending him to the ground once again.

By this point it looked like AJ was fully exhausted, and another face slam on the steps didn’t help. Shinsuke got him back in the ring and delivered some truly insulting taps to the head with his feet as AJ was down.

AJ punched Shinsuke in the stomach, and Shinsuke responded by trying to toss the champion only for AJ to land on his feet. They punished each other enough that both men were down for the count for a while, looking like it was going to be another no decision.

Yet the champion then recovered his energy enough to fight back, with both men going down again. Shinsuke tried to punch AJ in the dick again (I love that we can say “again” about that) but AJ stepped back at the last minute, leaving the challenger to look worried and shocker on his knees in the ring.

AJ forearmed right across Shinsuke’s jaw when he tried to execute a move off the rope, and then hit him in the face again. He was down for a while but not enough for the win. Then it was AJ’s turn to try an off-the-ropes move only to get thwarted, with Shinsuke kicking him out of mid-air.

Shinsuke wasn’t done, tossing AJ out of the ring and over the barrier once again, and then onto a table. With AJ trying to recover once again, Shinsuke kneed him in the face and then slammed him into the outside of the ring multiple times, putting AJ back in the ring in an absolutely brutal state.

Amazingly, Shinsuke pulled out a table from underneath the ring and carried it into the ring without AJ seeing any of it because he was too busy stumbling around and attempting to catch his breath.

That gave the challenger plenty of time to set up the table and get AJ to the top of the ropes, ready to slam him into the table. But AJ turned the tables (heh) and got Shinsuke pinned against the turnbuckle, only for the power to change hands once again with AJ getting tossed into the side of the table — right on his ribs.

Shinsuke finished things by putting the table diagonally against the ropes and tossing AJ through it completely. It looked like AJ couldn’t get up from that but when the count reached nine AJ managed to get to his feet against. Leading to one of the best Shinsuke faces of the match.

With a turnbuckle exposed, Shinsuke tried to ram AJ into it but when he tried to ram AJ in the corner, AJ moved and Shinsuke rammed his knee into the exposed metal instead. Which ... ouch. AJ went directly after the injured knee after that, with Shinsuke rolling around in pain.

Even though the ref started his count, AJ wasn’t done. He went after the knee again with a painful-looking hold, and after that Shinsuke could barely even stand up to try and continue the fight. Eventually he got to both feet but immediately fell again, rolling out of the ring in agony only to get hit in the leg with a chair by AJ.

At this point, AJ was completely without mercy and hit Shinsuke over the head and body with the chair. Shinsuke had just enough energy to hit AJ in the balls again, managing to stand up and leaving AJ on the ground until a count of nine again. But once again, AJ stood up and continued to fit. At least until Shinsuke hit him with another running knee to the face.

Yet again, AJ was up just in the nick of time, getting to his feet and then crawling around to try and get away from the injured Shinsuke. The challenger cleared off the announcers’ table and had AJ in a position for a table slam but AJ took advantage of his weakened state to push him off the table and into the stairs, and then delivering a flying elbow while he was down.

It really looked like Shinsuke was down for the count after another slam from AJ, but he barely beat the count. It was so close the crowd didn’t believe the ref when he said things were still going.

Shinsuke asked for more from AJ while barely able to stand, and AJ granted him that wish with a hard kick right to the groin. He finally finished things off with a flying table slam off the top rope, which left both men down on the ground. Styles made it to his feet but Shinsuke didn’t, finally ending the match and keeping the WWE Championship with AJ Styles.

That was one of the best recent matches between the two, and something tells us there could be more rematches between them to see if Shinsuke can finally take the belt from AJ after such a brutal showdown.