AJ Styles defeated Kevin Owens to win the United States Championship at WWE live event at Madison Square Garden.
Owens kicked out of a Styles clash prior to the match ending, but AJ quickly hit the Phenomenal Forearm to pick up the win.
As you can hear in the video below, the surprise win popped the crowd big time.
This is Styles’ second title win since joining WWE in 2016.
Congrats to the NEW face (that runs the place) of America!
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
WWE Shop is selling exclusive red “Untouchable” t-shirts for AJ Styles as he prepares to return home to Atlanta for next week’s SmackDown episode. AJ and WWE are asking fans to “rock the red” when they attend next week’s show. AJ speaks on the shirt in this new video:
Source: WrestlingINC
Photo from shop.wwe.com
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels appeared on the latest episode of The Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. During the interview with Roberts, Michaels revealed that he was actually offered a match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33.
“I guess I’m breaking something with you and I don’t even know if I should, but I could have had that match,” Michaels said (h/t to Sports Illustrated for the transcription). “They didn’t have an opponent for AJ at WrestleMania. I said that I hadn’t been asked because I hadn’t—but then I was.
“I said, I wish that young man was here 10 years ago, man. I honestly do. I think he’s very talented.”
Michaels has not wrestled since losing a “Career vs. Streak” match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI in 2010. He told ESPN earlier this year that Triple H and Vince McMahon had never approached him about a return match, but he thinks that a match with Samoa Joe would be something that he would have enjoyed.
“I look at Samoa Joe and I’ve told him a number of times that I see his stuff at NXT and think to myself, ‘Man, I could have a great deal of fun with you.’ He’s a guy I have sort of enjoyed, and one of those sleeper guys that no one talks about,” Michaels told ESPN in January. “We have contrasting styles. I get that everybody wants to see me and AJ or Seth or Dolph [Ziggler]. From my standpoint, I think really telling a great story out there [is most important]. I could do it with a guy like Samoa Joe. His stuff looks really good, and sometimes he just looks like he’s beating the tar out of somebody.”
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE announced the following:
The whirlwind struggle to determine WWE Champion Bray Wyatt’s No. 1 contender at WrestleMania will reach new heights this Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE when Randy Orton battles AJ Styles one-on-one.
For a brief moment last Tuesday, it seemed as if the ongoing controversy surrounding the WWE Title had finally been settled. Styles overcame Luke Harper in an extremely hard-fought match and seemingly established himself as The New Face of Fear’s Show of Shows’ challenger. But that assumption literally went up in smoke when 2017 Royal Rumble Match winner Randy Orton —who had previously stated that he would not challenge Wyatt as long as he was the master and Orton the servant — suddenly declared that he was coming for the WWE Title at The Showcase of The Immortals before burning The Wyatt Family Compound to the ground!
But who ultimately has the right to challenge Bray Wyatt: the Superstar who won the Royal Rumble Match or the Superstar who won the honor after Orton refused it?
To answer that question, Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan reviewed all that happened this past week and have determined that The Viper and “The Face that Runs the Place” must go head-to-head this Tuesday at 8/7 C on USA Network to finally establish who will take on The New Face of Fear on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
KAIT 8 out of Jonesboro, Arkansas is reporting that AJ Styles was robbed during last Monday’s WWE live event at the Convocation Center.
Kait 8 reported the following:
JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) –
Arkansas State University police are wrestling with a theft case that targeted a WWE grappler.
While 39-year-old Allen Neil Jones of Gainesville, GA performed at the WWE Live event Monday night at the Convocation Center, 217 Olympic Dr., someone stole his cash and belongings.
Jones, who performs as AJ Styles, reported the theft of a black bag containing $1,000 in American currency and $7,000 in Japanese yen.
The culprit also stole an iPhone, a set of Beats headphones, a small screen TV, an Xbox 360, and six Xbox 360 games.
The case is still under investigation.
Region 8 News has requested more information to be released in the case, but Arkansas State University has denied our request. We will continue to seek more information.
Source: Kait 8
As noted, AJ Styles has not wrestled since sustaining an ankle injury at last week’s TLC pay-per-view. Styles’ ankle injury occurred when he took an over-the-top rope backdrop from Dean Ambrose during their match.
WWE was hoping that Styles would be able to return to action on last night’s SmackDown and defend the WWE Championship against James Ellsworth, however plans were changed. Styles ended up not wrestling on the show, and Dolph Ziggler defeated Dean Ambrose, Luke Harper and WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz in a Fatal 4 Way Elimination Match to become the new #1 contender for the WWE Championship. Ziggler will face Styles for the WWE Championship on the December 27th SmackDown from Chicago. The storyline reason given was that James Ellsworth was too sick to face Styles. WWE SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan noted on Talking Smack that Ellsworth will still get a WWE Championship opportunity in the future.
Styles has been removed from all upcoming SmackDown live events until the December 26th show at Madison Square Garden in New York. Styles is scheduled to defend the title against Ambrose and the returning John Cena in a triple threat match at the event.
Styles appeared on Talking Smack last night and dodged questions about if he was cleared to wrestle, but said that he “could go.”
“Health-wise I’m ready to rock, I was ready to go with Ellsworth tonight and then he got sick,” Styles said. “I’m ready to go… listen, I can go.”
Source: WrestlingINC
As seen on last night’s WWE SmackDown, WWE World Champion AJ Styles came out wearing a walking boot. Styles mentioned he has to wear the boot for a week and announced that he is not cleared to compete. No word yet on when James Ellsworth will get his WWE World Title shot but we’ll keep you updated.
As noted, Styles suffered a minor ankle injury at TLC on Sunday night. He was pulled from the ring at Monday’s live event in Tyler, Texas. It appears he is off this weekend’s live events but that hasn’t been confirmed.
You can see shots of AJ in his boot below:
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE World Champion AJ Styles suffered a minor right ankle injury during the main event of WWE TLC on Sunday night. Styles was then pulled from Monday’s live event in Tyler, TX as a precautionary measure.
It was noted on Wrestling Observer Radio today that Styles’ injury is not severe but there’s been no word yet on tonight’s SmackDown main event against James Ellsworth or the weekend WWE live events. The SmackDown live events are already limited but losing Styles would be another big blow to the roster.
Dave Meltzer noted on WOR that Styles may have suffered the injury doing the springboard 450 to Dean Ambrose through the table at TLC.
It appears as if Styles could possibly still be defending the WWE Championship against James Ellsworth on tonight’s Smackdown, as he posted below on Twitter:
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE World Champion AJ Styles may have suffered an injury in the main event of WWE TLC last night.
After retaining over Dean Ambrose in the TLC main event, AJ celebrated until the pay-per-view went off the air. After the show ended, AJ fell to the mat and a trainer came running down to check on him. Another trainer was checking on Ambrose outside of the ring. According to our correspondent, AJ was talking to the trainer about his right foot and was seen trying to move it around. AJ walked out on his own but was noticeably limping as fans gave him a standing ovation.
Regarding Ambrose, he was rushed to the back by trainers. No word yet on confirmed injuries to either man but we will keep you updated.
Source: WrestlingINC
NBC Sports interviewed AJ Styles, who was promoting this Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Below are a couple of highlights:
Transitioning to the WWE style:
“It’s been easy. Every guy that I’ve worked here in the WWE has been great. I think they understand that it’s not about them, it’s not about me, it’s about the match and about making sure that people enjoy what they’re seeing because if we work together and put on a good product, we’ll keep those fans.”
If he is more comfortable as a heel:
“Absolutely. Regardless of whether John Cena gets booed, or whatever it is, he’s still the ultimate babyface. He’s still a huge piece in this giant puzzle that is the WWE. So for me to be the heel against John Cena was perfect for AJ Styles.
“It was perfect for what I needed to do,” Styles continued. “It was easier because I think everyone that’s been a great babyface, aside from John Cena, has been a heel at one point. I think being a better heel, a better bad guy, makes you a better babyface in the long run.”
The Club being split up:
“I was … ah … I was shocked,” Styles said when asked about the moment in the clip above. “Um, I knew that we were coming out with Club shirts and stuff like that, so I just assumed that we were going to be together.”
“We’re more than friends. Those guys are more like my family. I spent two years with them in Japan and we came together to the WWE, so it was a big shocker that we got broke up. You know, it’s just ah … really hard to explain, you know? These are the guys I ride with when we’re on the road. So, for the first time in I guess two years, we’re not on the same shows anymore. In fact, I don’t see them at all. Honestly, I literally just got done talking to them on the phone, that’s how close we still are.”
“It was something that happened that we’ve grown from. I mean they’re doing great on Raw. I’m doing great on SmackDown,” Styles beamed. “Now we look forward to those four Pay-Per-Views a year that we get to hang out and act like goofballs together.”
Styles also discussed the WWE schedule not being hard for him and more. You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Source: WrestlingINC
Wrestling News Blog 