After being forced out of action for the first four months of the year due to a late December broken ankle, AJ Styles returned to WWE action in a pretty incredible way on the first SmackDown after the draft rosters went into effect, wrestling two Hall of Famers and “The All Mighty” for a chance to represent the Blue Brand at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking with Megan Morant on the SmackDown LowDown immediately after his second match, Styles sent a message to Seth Rollins ahead of their impending showdown.

“Seth Rollins, yes, I know,” AJ Styles said. “You know, it was hard enough beating those two Hall of Famers, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and then future Hall of Famer Bobby Lashley; the guy’s a stud, we all know it. Listen, he’s got a kink in his armor, I took advantage of it. It is what it is; that’s how I beat Bobby Lashley. That’s how I prepare for everybody; if there’s a kink, I’m going to go explore it, take advantage of it; and it wasn’t easy, but I did it. And now, Seth Rollins, another difficult opponent, but that’s the way I like it here in the WWE – you’ve gotta earn the championship; you’ve gotta earn the World Heavyweight Championship.”

On paper, Rollins has to be the favorite to win this showdown, as he's been holding down the fort for WWE for years now as the “Ace” of RAW, but don't discount Styles, as he's won belts in dozens of companies around the world and still looks as good as ever at the tender age of 45. With big plans for The OC's return, returning to SmackDown – or moving to RAW – winning the new World Heavyweight Championship would be good for Club business.