AJ Styles Retains United States Title, Gets Challenger For Next Week

AJ Styles has a giant target on his back as WWE United States Champion.

The AJ Styles United States Title Open Challenge hasn't exactly gone the way he planned, with several run-ins, attacks, and undermining to get title opportunities. On last week's episode of WWE Smackdown Live, AJ Styles told former challenger Tye Dillinger that the open challenge would only be extended to him, giving him an opportunity at the title tonight.

Styles would defeat Dillinger after a back-and-forth battle. You can see an excerpt from Fightful.com's live coverage below.

Tye is in control as we come back from commercial, hitting AJ with a series of punches in the corner before AJ escapes and sends him face first into the top turnbuckle and dropping him with a clothesline. They tease their finishers before Tye hits the Tye Breaker for a near fall off of the distraction by Baron Corbin. AJ then locks in the Calf Killer and Tye is forced to tap for the win.

Winner: AJ Styles via submission

After the match, Baron Corbin attacked Styles and declared his intent to challenge for the title next week on the September 19 Smackdown. The situation actually came about a couple of weeks ago when Corbin planned on making a challenge, but was cut off by Dillinger instead.