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The intense rivalry between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura is destined to reach a fever pitch when the two Superstars once again square off for the WWE Title in a No Disqualification Match at WWE Backlash.
After his triumphant showing in the 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble Match, the charismatic Nakamura earned the right to a dream match against The Phenomenal One at WrestleMania 34. However, moments after Styles successfully defended the WWE Championship in a hard-fought encounter on The Grandest Stage of Them All, The King of Strong Style suddenly struck a vicious low blow that forever tarnished the instant classic the WWE Universe had waited so long to see.
The nefarious Artist would follow up that assault on SmackDown LIVE with several strategic sneak attacks en route to their rematch at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Along the way, he would meet any and all inquiries about his behavior with a sudden inability to speak English.
It goes without saying that, by the time the two competitors reached Saudi Arabia, their mutual animosity proved to be so explosive their brutal rematch inevitably spill out to the ringside area, igniting a brawl that left neither Superstar willing to answer the referee’s 10-count. As a result, the contest was left with no clear winner. Unsatisfied, The Phenomenal One added fuel to the fire by unleashing a post-match assault of sheer frustration on his underhanded adversary, making a return match at WWE Backlash an absolute necessity.
SmackDown General Manager Paige later declared that both Superstars went beyond the bounds of good sportsmanship in Saudi Arabia, and said that there must be a clean winner at WWE Backlash before making the bout a No Disqualification Match.
Every time AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura meet, the WWE Universe is treated to a matchup of unparalleled talent and explosiveness. However, considering how personal the enmity has grown between them, there’s no telling just how much damage they’ll do when they once again go head-to-head for the WWE Championship in a No Disqualification brawl. Don’t miss the hard-hitting rematch tonight at 8 ET /5 PT, on the award-winning WWE Network.