At Backlash on September 11, he lost the title to AJ Styles after Styles performed a low blow and "Styles Clash" while the referee was incapacitated. Ambrose was unsuccessful in regaining the championship at No Mercy on October 9 in a triple threat match also involving John Cena, who was pinned by Styles. The following month at Survivor Series, Ambrose made up part of Team SmackDown alongside Styles, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Shane McMahon in a winning effort over Team Raw. He would face Styles once again in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at for the WWE title. During the match, James Ellsworth interfered and pushed Ambrose off a ladder through multiple tables, allowing Styles to retain the title. Ambrose would then fail to become the number one contender for the reverted WWE Championship in a fatal four-way elimination match involving Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, and The Miz.