BROOKLYN — Samoa Joe targeted AJ Styles’ family in the weeks leading up to their WWE Championship Match at SummerSlam, and he kept on doing it even when the bout was underway. After insulting AJ’s wife, who was sitting near ringside, Joe finally paid the price, as Styles unleashed a rage-fueled steel chair attack on the challenger that cost him the match, but not his title.
The mind games started before the bell even rang, when Joe grabbed the microphone from the ring announcer and pointed out The Phenomenal One’s wife and daughter in the crowd, then promised them “Daddy’s coming home.” Styles retorted that they were here to watch him make The Samoan Submission Machine pay.
WWE Champion AJ Styles and Samoa Joe battle it out in heart-pounding contest for the most prized possession in WWE: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
Joe looked to have the upper hand early on, as he used the size disparity to his advantage, overpowering the champion and hurling Styles around the ring with ease. The punishment continued at ringside, where Styles hoped to catch a brief breather, only for Joe to come flying through the ropes, sending the champion into the announce table.
The WWE Champion battled back, diving onto Joe at ringside, then cutting off another flying attempt from the heavy hitter with a kick to the head. Styles threw everything he had at Samoa Joe while looking over at his wife and daughter to tell them he was OK.
The two men continued to wage war, eventually collapsing to the mat in exhaustion. Styles locked on the Calf Crusher, only for Joe to reverse it into the Coquina Clutch. The WWE Champion escaped as the battle wore on, going back to the arena floor, where Joe recklessly threw Styles into the steel ring stairs.
The Samoan Submission Machine then took the microphone once again, stood up on the German announce table and taunted Styles’ family. At that point, Styles had enough. The WWE Champion went into a rage, charging at Joe and tackling him, sending the two crashing through the ringside barricade. Styles continued to unleash his fury on his challenger, mangling a steel chair over Samoa Joe’s back.
The WWE Champion eventually calmed down after checking on his wife and daughter, and then walking them out of the sold-out Barclays Center. However, there was no calming Joe, who left the arena in a rage. Joe may have had Styles where he wanted him heading into SummerSlam, but he did not seem to plan for the fury he awoke in The Phenomenal One.
BROOKLYN — Samoa Joe targeted AJ Styles’ family in the weeks leading up to their WWE Championship Match at SummerSlam, and he kept on doing it even when the bout was underway. After insulting AJ’s wife, who was sitting near ringside, Joe finally paid the price, as Styles unleashed a rage-fueled steel chair attack on the challenger that cost him the match, but not his title.
The mind games started before the bell even rang, when Joe grabbed the microphone from the ring announcer and pointed out The Phenomenal One’s wife and daughter in the crowd, then promised them “Daddy’s coming home.” Styles retorted that they were here to watch him make The Samoan Submission Machine pay.
WWE Champion AJ Styles and Samoa Joe battle it out in heart-pounding contest for the most prized possession in WWE: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
Joe looked to have the upper hand early on, as he used the size disparity to his advantage, overpowering the champion and hurling Styles around the ring with ease. The punishment continued at ringside, where Styles hoped to catch a brief breather, only for Joe to come flying through the ropes, sending the champion into the announce table.
The WWE Champion battled back, diving onto Joe at ringside, then cutting off another flying attempt from the heavy hitter with a kick to the head. Styles threw everything he had at Samoa Joe while looking over at his wife and daughter to tell them he was OK.
The two men continued to wage war, eventually collapsing to the mat in exhaustion. Styles locked on the Calf Crusher, only for Joe to reverse it into the Coquina Clutch. The WWE Champion escaped as the battle wore on, going back to the arena floor, where Joe recklessly threw Styles into the steel ring stairs.
The Samoan Submission Machine then took the microphone once again, stood up on the German announce table and taunted Styles’ family. At that point, Styles had enough. The WWE Champion went into a rage, charging at Joe and tackling him, sending the two crashing through the ringside barricade. Styles continued to unleash his fury on his challenger, mangling a steel chair over Samoa Joe’s back.
The WWE Champion eventually calmed down after checking on his wife and daughter, and then walking them out of the sold-out Barclays Center. However, there was no calming Joe, who left the arena in a rage. Joe may have had Styles where he wanted him heading into SummerSlam, but he did not seem to plan for the fury he awoke in The Phenomenal One.
