The first opponent of Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship run has been confirmed.
AJ Styles won a #1 contender match on this week’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, guaranteeing him a match against Rhodes at WWE Backlash in France on May 4.
Styles overcame rival LA Knight in the tournament finals, avenging a loss he took just weeks earlier at Wrestlemania 40. After poking Knight in the eye while a referee wasn’t looking, Styles hit his Styles Clash to win the match.
Styles had to defeat a pair of other talents in the #1 contender tournament’s opening round last week, beating Kevin Owens and Rey Mysterio in a triple-threat match.
The upcoming Premium Live Event match will be Styles’ second chance at the top WWE belt this year. He was unsuccessful in January as part of a four-way for the title, although then-incumbent champ Roman Reigns prevailed.
Styles’ last title reign with a top WWE singles belt lasted a year, beginning in 2017 with a win over Jinder Mahal and concluding the following year after losing to Daniel Bryan. He has since had a tag title run, along U.S. and Intercontinental title runs.
Two title bouts are now booked for this year’s WWE Backlash card. The other championship match will see Damien Priest put his WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Jey Uso.
