Jeff Hardy wins Intercontinental title on WWE SmackDown

.A new Intercontinental Champion was crowned on the final episode of SmackDown before SummerSlam.

Jeff Hardy defeated AJ Styles on SmackDown tonight to win the Intercontinental title. The finish of the match tied in with a show-long storyline where Styles had injured Hardy earlier in the night.

During a segment where the SmackDown roster brawled with RETRIBUTION, Hardy’s knee was hurt. It was later revealed that Styles was the person who attacked him. Hardy got his knee checked out and got a brace for it but still faced Styles. When Styles went for the Styles Clash, Hardy kicked him in the face with the knee brace. He then hit the Twist of Fate and a Swanton Bomb to win the Intercontinental title.

This is the fifth time that Hardy has been Intercontinental Champion in his career. He last held the title in 2007-2008.

Matt Hardy posted a tweet congratulating his brother on his title win: “Congratulations, Brother Nero!”

Styles had been Intercontinental Champion since defeating Daniel Bryan in a tournament final this June.

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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.