More On Awkward AJ Styles Vs. Kevin Owens Finish At WWE Battleground
As noted, AJ Styles was a heavy betting favorite in his match against Kevin Owens at this past Sunday's WWE Battleground pay-per-view once the smart money came in. The betting odds are usually accurate when the smart money is in, and Styles was the only favorite to lose his match on Sunday.
The finish of the match was awkward, which saw Owens roll Styles over while in the Crossface as a groggy referee counted three. Styles legitimately looked confused, and as noted yesterday, he stayed in the ring after the match and seemed upset. Because of the strange finish, there was some speculation that Styles might not have gotten his shoulder up in time and may have only heard the referee's hand hit the mat twice. Referees are supposed to call the match like a shoot, which would have resulted in the three count and title change.
According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio, the correct person ended up winning, however the finish of the match was changed after the match had started. Alvarez said that the finish was changed in the middle of the match and not at the end. It's not known why the change was made, but the decision was made to have Owens win before the finish.
No replays were shown of the finish, and Styles did not appear in any post-PPV interviews. You can check out the end of the match below:
Dave and Bryan didn't have the scoop on the AJ/Owen finish – I really wonder what sources they have now nowadays? pic.twitter.com/XRsY7p0oFa
? rovert (@SoDuTw) July 24, 2017