After a brief hiatus, Styles returned on the May 4 episode of "Raw" and won a gauntlet match to take a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match at Money in the Bank. At the event, Styles was unsuccessful at capturing the briefcase. On the May 22 episode of "SmackDown", Styles was traded to the brand as he was announced as a participant in the Intercontinental Championship tournament. He defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in the first round, and earned a bye to the finals after his scheduled opponent Elias was unable to compete. On the June 12 episode of "SmackDown", Styles defeated Daniel Bryan to win the Intercontinental Championship for the first time. During the following weeks Styles successfully defended the title against the likes of Drew Gulak, Matt Riddle and Gran Metalik. Styles then lost the title to Jeff Hardy on the August 21 episode of "SmackDown", ending his reign at 70 days. At Clash of Champions, Styles failed to regain the title in a triple threat ladder match that was won by Sami Zayn.