WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on the USA Network from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
On the October 4th episode of WWE SmackDown, AJ Styles returned to face off against Carmelo Hayes in a singles match. The match wound up being stopped after Styles suffered a “mid-foot ligament sprain.”
On Monday, the Phenomenal One took to Twitter to respond to a fan who claimed that he wasn’t really hurt. In his reply, Styles confirmed the reports that he’s currently dealing with a Lisfranc injury.
As of this writing, there is no word on how long AJ Styles will be out of action.
Source: eWn
A Lisfranc injury is a foot injury that involves the Lisfranc joint complex, which is made up of the tarsometatarsal joint. It can range from mild to severe and can include a number of different types of injuries, such as sprains, subluxations, dislocations, and crush injuries.
Lisfranc injuries are uncommon and are often misdiagnosed or mismanaged. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important for favorable outcomes. Treatment options include non-operative (cast immobilization) or surgery, depending on the severity of the injury.
“Coming soon” has turned into “next week,” as the Machine City Motor Guns are slated to make their first WWE appearance on the upcoming October 18 episode of “WWE SmackDown.”
Nick Aldis was the first to break the news on WWE programming, informing Legado del Fantasma leader Santos Escobar that he was bringing in “a new tag team” next week, and that the team would be facing Escobar’s stablemates, Los Garzas. Shortly following the segment, a vignette featuring the bright lights of Detroit and the purr of motor engines filled fans’ screens. The letters “M-C-M-G” even briefly flashed at the end of the package, all but confirming the identities of Aldis’ expected new tag team arrival — and likely confirming that they will at least be using the same collective name.
Notably, Fightful Select reported earlier on Friday that Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin were not slated to appear on the blue brand until the October 25 episode of “SmackDown,” though the report allowed that the debut date could be changed even as a result of the report itself. Fightful also claimed the Guns’ upcoming debut had nothing whatsoever to do with the situation surrounding The Lucha Brothers, whose WWE arrival has been delayed by AEW CEO Tony Khan invoking his contractual right to extend Rey Fenix’ deal due to injury.
Shelley and Sabin are no strangers to gold — the Motor City Machine Guns boast tag team title reigns across multiple promotions, including NJPW, Deadlock Pro Wrestling, IGWP, Ring of Honor, and most famously Impact/TNA. The Guns’ contracts with TNA expired in April 2024; by September 2024, reports of Shelley and Sabin’s deal with WWE hit the wrestling news cycle. The Guns were initially reported to be heading to “WWE NXT,” but will instead call the blue brand home.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on the USA Network from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
AJ Styles returned on last week’s episode of “WWE SmackDown” to face Carmelo Hayes. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that’s derailed the momentum he had. While some fans and reports claimed the health setback was a work, it was ultimately confirmed that Styles is hurt.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the referee stopped the match and that this angered the star. Interestingly, the report further noted that Styles was meant to begin a storyline about farewell tour and teasing his retirement. Despite his injury, the report also claimed that Styles’ retirement storyline is still planned to occur pending the results of an MRI he underwent to assess the severity of the injury.
WWE’s current deal with TNA Wrestling could also factor into Styles’ retirement tour, since he’ll be able to appear in the promotion that put him on everyone’s radar. Earlier this year, Styles commented on WWE and TNA’s partnership, noting that he had hopes that he’ll still have a final match in his old stomping grounds. The veteran also commented on the stars crossing between the two promotions, and expressed how he believes it has enriched the companies and the talent involved.
Hopefully for Styles, he will heal up while the promotions still have their crossover deal, as a TNA appearance would be the cherry on top of his rumored retirement tour. However, for now, it remains to be seen what’s in store for “The Phenomenal One,” as he is currently focused on recovering from the setback.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
A new update regarding AJ Styles is a cause for concern.
Following a lengthy absence from TV, Styles made his return on the October 4th episode of SmackDown. Opening the show, the former World Champion was quickly interrupted by Carmelo Hayes, who made fun of Styles and said that he was past his prime. After being goaded into a match by LA Knight, Hayes vs. Styles was the opening match of the show.
Sadly the match did not go the way as many hoped as due to an ankle injury the match was stopped and Hayes won via forfeit. Later seen evaluated by the medical team and leaving the arena on crutches, backstage interviewer Jackie Redmond stated on social media that Styles had “suffered a “mid foot ligament sprain” also known as a Lisfranc injury” and would undergo further evaluation. The Phenomenal One also acknowledged this update, saying that he would keep everyone updated.
Following the injury, two updates have been provided with differing reports as to how serious the injury was. As reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select on October 5th, Styles is not injured and the spot was planned:
AJ Styles’ injury angle was planned an he’s fine.
However, the following day, Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer posted in his daily update that Styles is injured and will get an MRI to find out how serious the injury is:
The A.J. Styles injury on Friday was legit and not storyline. He’s getting an MRI done to see the severity of it.
In comments from a previously unreleased interview, AJ Styles gave a concerning health update.
Source: InsideTheRopes
On Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown, a vignette teasing someone “coming soon” aired. The vignette featured a car revving up its engine and taking off, police sirens and what appears to be the city of Detroit, MI.
According to a report from Pwinsider, multiple sources have indicated that the vignette is for the Motor City Machine Guns. The team of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin were originally expected to have a short run in WWE NXT, but that will no longer be happening. Instead, the duo will be coming straight to the main roster.
Finally, it was added that the team was not at this week’s WWE NXT TV tapings in Chicago, IL as originally planned.
Source: eWn
WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on the USA Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
The go-home episode of “WWE SmackDown” before Bad Blood is starting to resemble a can’t-miss event. In addition to a WWE Tag Team Championship match, a Dumpster Match, and other contests, fans can expect to see the return of AJ Styles on the upcoming October 4 installment of “SmackDown.” The announcement was made Friday night via a “SmackDown” video package that saw Styles, donned in his signature black attire and hood, walking through guerilla. The package then cut to various compilations of Styles’ best in-ring moments alongside Styles saying his signature catchphrase, “this is still the house that AJ Styles built.”
As of writing, there is currently no further information as to Styles’ post-return plans. Styles’ last televised WWE match saw him shout “I quit” to Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle 2024, losing his chance at the Undisputed WWE Championship in the process. Any potential Bad Blood plans for Styles, who hails from the state of Georgia, are also unknown, as the Atlanta-based event is slated for the night after his return to WWE programming.
Styles has been absent from the blue brand for more than three months since his loss in Scotland, though he did perform on WWE’s Japanese and German international house show tours. Styles has had a bit more luck outside of WWE as of late, as his last televised match, across any show, saw him pick up the win against Naomichi Marufuji at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination 2024 PPV in July. Styles hasn’t wrestled at all since August 29.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown live on the USA Network from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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