Tag: AJ Styles

AJ Styles Discusses The Possibility Of Working With AEW, His Retirement Plans

WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles took to his Twitch stream last night to answer a variety of questions from his fans.

One topic of discussion was All Elite Wrestling and the close relationships Styles has with some of the higher ups working there. Styles mentioned how you can “never say never” in regards to him possibly showing up in AEW one day.

“As far as AEW is concerned, never say never, right? But I think once my career is done, I’m hopefully just going to work for WWE in some capacity,” AJ explained. “What would I do? I’d like to be a recruiter, go scout some guys. I think that would be fun. I would have no problem going to the indies. I know we have scouts going to weightlifting contests and what not to get these big guys.”

Styles says that he intends to close the final chapter of his in-ring career in WWE and then move on to recruiting talent for the company. He notes that change is hard, and he likes the position he’s in now.

“I want to get guys and girls who have wanted to do this their whole life, give them some advice, check up on them from time to time, and help them get to the next level or the Performance Center,” Styles said. “A lot of my friends are [in AEW], guys I love, but I know what I’m doing in WWE. I know what’s asked of me and I kind of like that.

“Change always – some change sucks. You know how one thing is done and the other is not worth the hassle,” AJ continued. “I don’t need, at least right now, to go anywhere else. So, why would I? But again, never say never.”

Styles new Twitch channel has been getting a lot of attention lately, particularly because of his candid way of answering questions about Paul Heyman. You can read more about Styles’ comments about Paul Heyman at this link.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AJ Styles Calls Paul Heyman “A Boldface Liar”, Responds To Reports About Their Relationship

As seen below, WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles took to his Mixer video game streaming channel yesterday and had some strong things to say regarding his former boss on RAW, Paul Heyman. It was previously reported that Styles and Heyman did not get along when they were working together.

“There were some rumors going around that AJ Styles left RAW to go to SmackDown because he was being bullied. That may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Styles said. “I mean, I’m a grown man. If there were some bullying going on that upset me enough to leave RAW and go to SmackDown, I would handle it. And whether I got my tail beat or not, I’d still handle it. I’m a grown man. So, I’ll just throw that out there.

“When it came to the rumor about Paul Heyman and being upset with him because he didn’t take up for Gallows and Anderson before they got released, that’s not what it was at all,” AJ continued. “It’s not even close. I’ll give you a snippet of what me, Gallows, and Anderson already know – [Paul Heyman] is a liar. Now you know; I’m sure you’ve heard that before if you go back to his ECW days, you’ll hear that. He’s a boldface liar. So, that’s my take on that. I will let Gallows and Anderson [add to it].”

Styles was reportedly “furious” over Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson being released in April. Styles reportedly blamed Heyman for their releases, even though Vince McMahon was the person who made the call.

Anderson and Gallows have reportedly come to terms on a deal with Impact Wrestling. The deal would allow “The Good Brothers” to wrestle on Impact as well as New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AJ Styles Admits Luke Gallows And Karl Anderson Being Released By WWE Still Bothers Him

On a recent After The Bell podcast, Corey Graves asked AJ Styles about his return to SmackDown after being traded to the brand. Styles said he needed a change of scenery after the releases of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

“I mean it’s different for me. This is moving to FOX,” Styles stated. “I think they’re doing a really good job. So I’m excited about that, to be working with those guys, and it’s just doing something different man. It’s good for me. I needed a change, and I don’t mean to harp on this, but losing Gallows and Anderson really hurt me. So getting away from RAW helps me get over it. I don’t know that I’ll get over it, but it helps change the atmosphere around me, to do something different because my whole time on RAW was with them. So getting away from that and getting to SmackDown, where I’ve had a lot of success, it’s a good thing.”

Styles talked about his frustration over not doing more for Gallows and Anderson. He said that he was like an older brother to them and feels that he let them down.

“Looking back, I was the one that kind of brought their names to come to WWE and everything,” Styles reflected. “So when they got released, I immediately feel responsible for them because I helped them get here, and I wanted them to stay. I feel like if I had encouraged them to stay, maybe they would be fine right now. So a lot of that fell on me, and it and it destroyed me.

“I feel like I let them down, and I talked to them about this. I talked about it on the Mixer channel on the day after it was done. I was just crushed. I’m the oldest in this group, and they’re my little brothers. I didn’t take care of them, and that really bothered me. It really really bothers me. It still does.”

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to After The Bell 

AJ Styles Says His Surprise Return On Raw “Could Have Been More”

AJ Styles has heard the rumblings from fans saying his return to Raw this week could have been more special … and “The Phenomenal One” agrees.

During a Mixer stream on Wednesday, Styles first addressed the lack of creativity in returning from being “buried alive” with no changes to his character.

“The return could have been more,” he said. “I’ve heard people talk about ‘Well, I mean, you kinda just wasted it. AJ Styles was buried alive and he could have come back as a different character, in a different mood, a different look. Something different about AJ Styles. He came back and he was exactly the same as before he got buried.’ I’m with you.”

In case you missed it … Styles returned to action Monday night on Raw, winning a Gauntlet Match to earn himself a spot in Sunday’s Money in the Bank ladder match. It was the first we’ve seen of Styles since getting “buried” in the Boneyard Match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania.

Speaking on his stream, AJ theorizes that he was brought back to beef up the card for Sunday’s pay-per-view. “I think circumstances had a lot to do with AJ Styles coming back when he did … maybe we need some more star power in that match,” he said. “Maybe that’s what it was.”

Styles joins Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Aleister Black, King Corbin and Otis in Sunday’s ladder match taking place at WWE Headquarters.

Regardless of reasoning, Styles wishes he had a do-over. “I wish we could have waited,” he said. “I think, if times would have been different, that would have been something that we went with.”

Watch his comments in the video at the link below (starting after the 12-minute mark).

https://mixer.com/STYLESCLASH?vod=IEvr5oDQBEel7EIJK6BLIg

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

AJ Styles Returning To Action At Super ShowDown In Tuwaiq Trophy Gauntlet Match

Looks like AJ Styles’ recent injury at the Royal Rumble won’t keep him out of action for long, as WWE has announced he’ll compete in the Tuwaiq Trophy Gauntlet Match at Super ShowDown.

The gauntlet match match was announced during Raw and additional competitors include Andrade, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, Rusev and R-Truth.

As we previously reported, Styles suffered a separated shoulder while taking a spear from Edge during the Men’s  Royal Rumble Match.

This will also be Andrade’s first match since being suspended for violating WWE’s Wellness Policy.

WWE Super ShowDown takes place February 27.

tuwaiq trophy gauntlet match wwe super showdown aj styles andrade

WWE Announces AJ Styles Is Out Of Action Indefinitely

WWE has announced that AJ Styles is currently out of action indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

WWE added that Styles is recovering way ahead of doctor’s projections. It was reported last week, via Wrestling Observer Radio, that the internal hope was that AJ would be back in the ring in 4-6 weeks. There’s no word yet on if that timetable is still an option.

WWE also noted that AJ suffered the injury in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match earlier this month, but they did not mention how he was injured by a Spear from WWE Hall of Famer Edge. While AJ suffered the injury while taking a Spear from Edge, he addressed the injury on his Mixer channel last week and said Edge “did nothing, absolutely 100% nothing wrong.” You can click here for a recap of AJ’s comments on the injury and his return from Mixer. He noted that he didn’t expect to be out for very long, and that he was feeling a lot better. He also said he bets he will be back before they think he’s ready. Before AJ’s Mixer comments, it had been reported that AJ and WWE officials are optimistic that he will be back in time for WrestleMania 36, but that was before today’s announcement was made.

Below is WWE’s announcement confirming Styles’ injury today:

AJ Styles out indefinitely with a shoulder injuryAJ Styles is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury and is recovering way ahead of doctor’s projections.

The Phenomenal One suffered the injury during the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AJ Styles Injured At The Royal Rumble

It appeared that AJ Styles exit from the Royal Rumble match seemed to occur earlier than planned and now we’ve learned it was due to injury.

The Wrestling Observer reports Styles suffered a shoulder separation during the Royal Rumble match on Sunday.

In case you missed it, WWE Hall of Famer Edge made his shocking return to the company in the match and landed a flurry of spears on everyone in the ring. The injury to Styles appeared to occur while he was on the receiving end of a spear moments later.

The severity of AJ’s shoulder injury is unclear at this time.

Styles will be undergoing testing to determine the severity of the injury as soon as possible, perhaps at RAW today.

The O.C. Appeared On Last night’s WWE NXT, Got Help From Finn Balor

The O.C. (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) appeared last night on WWE NXT.

As seen below, The Undisputed Era (NXT Champion Adam Cole, NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong, NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) was attacked by The OC outside of the NXT Arena before tonight’s episode. The beatdown aired on the USA Network at 7:50pm ET tonight during Mauro Ranallo’s weekly preview.

They then came to the ring for a promo and were ultimately interrupted by Tommaso Ciampa.

Styles pointed out how Ciampa was outnumbered which prompted Keith Lee and Matt Riddle to come out in support of their brand and to setup a 3-on-3 match later on.

In the closing moments of the match … Ciampa looked to hit his finisher on the WWE United States Champion, but Finn Balor’s music hit causing a distraction. Balor then attacked Riddle on the entrance ramp and AJ Styles threw up a Too Sweet. Finn reciprocated with his finger guns.

Unfortunately, the celebration didn’t last long. Adam Cole interfered shortly after and stopped AJ from hitting the Styles Clash, causing the match to end in no contest. He also hit hit The Last Shot on Ciampa as well for good measure.

The NXT champ and Finn Balor stared each other down to end the show.

A.J. Styles Discusses The Delayed WWE Plane Ride From Saudi Arabia

This past weekend there was some controversy surrounding WWE’s already controversial Crown Jewel event. There was a flight issue that kept several WWE stars and crew in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia following Thursday’s event. As a result, SmackDown was changed due to virtually from the brand nobody being there.

Several stars that were stuck in Saudi Arabia vented their frustration on Twitter, especially after a WWE statement regarding certain talent wanting to buy their own separate charter flight over others. One person who didn’t post anything was A.J. Styles.

Speaking on his Mixer gaming stream, Styles was asked several times what happened and why there was a delay. Styles gave his own perspective on the situation, based on all the facts he knew.

“We were supposed to leave after the show. We got to the airport, they weren’t letting us board,” Styles stated. “What was the problem? Not really sure, heard there was a fuel truck in the way, the guy who drove the truck had left to go home. I know, this makes no sense. Why would the fuel guy leave if he knows he’s got a plane that’s leaving? Then there were some paperwork issues.

“Finally, after at least 4-5 hours, we get on the plane. Then they found something wrong, the fuel or something or another was broken. People can say what they want, ‘It wasn’t broken.’ But I talked to the pilot. On that 14-hour flight the pilots, I guess they take naps as well. We were all chatting, sitting around on this flight and he said, ‘Listen, there was a problem. That’s a real thing.'”

There have been a lot of rumors going around whether this was planned by those in Saudi Arabia or if it was all a misunderstanding regarding convenience. Styles has heard the latter.

“The problem was, we spent all that time, from one o’clock all the way to six or eight in the morning, waiting to board this plane, they are telling us we can’t go anywhere because the pilots and everybody had timed out,” Styles continued. “They can only go so long before they are not able to fly because they’re not able to go 24 hours at a time. They had to go back to a hotel, we had to find a hotel.

“Were there guns? Were there people yelling ‘EVERYBODY OFF THE PLANE!’? No, that never happened. My wife called me in a panic, she’s scared to death. I go, ‘Babe, listen, we’re just not able to go anywhere. It is not a big issue, nobody has threatened to kill us.’ There was none of that going on. Nobody was going to get murdered, it never happened. There was no threat of physical harm or anything like that.”

Former WWE Spanish commentator Hugo Savinovich claimed that he heard from a source that WWE was owed money by the Saudis for past events and Vince McMahon retaliated by cutting off the Crown Jewel live TV feed in Saudi Arabia. On the WWE third quarter earnings call, WWE avoided answering questions regarding Saudi Arabia, although they did mention receiving a $60 million payment “for an outstanding receivable” after September 30 (when the report closes) and before October 31, hours before Crown Jewel. Crown Jewel also reportedly started nearly an hour later on the MBC Action network in Saudi Arabia than scheduled.

A.J. did admit he had the best sleep of his life on the flight due to jetlag. He also explained his understanding of what has been going on between Vince and the Saudi government.

“It is almost blown up, as if, we were on the verge of being killed. That wasn’t the case,” Styles went on to say. “I don’t know what happened between Vince and the King, the Prince or whoever it is. That’s not my job to say anything, my jobs to go to work, my jobs to get home. Was I pretty angry about not going home because I missed my son’s wrestling match? You have no idea. But, if this is out of our hands, if it is out of the pilot’s hands, then there’s nothing we can do.

“There is no point in getting mad, getting angry about something I have no control of. I’m home now, and I’m happy to be here. We’ll find out as we go along why things happened, or we won’t. I don’t know what’s going to happen going forward, it is just going to be what it is going to be.”

Several stars are sure to be wanting answers following the new Plane Ride From Hell. While Styles is not in a rush, he wants to make sure he himself has all the facts together.

“I’ll deal with it when I need to, but I’m not going to throw WWE under the bus, that’s not how I work” Styles stated. “I am a guy who’s committed to making the best product that I can and it is not going to do me any good to throw good people under the bus. There are a lot of good people that work for WWE, and I will not make them look bad. There are a lot of people that were on that plane with me. Until I know more I’m not going to say anything. And if I did find out, and I was offended, I will go to the source, believe me on that one.”

Source: Wrestling Inc,

Steve Austin Stuns AJ Styles, Ends RAW With Beer Bash Celebration

Last night on RAW “Stone Cold” Steve Austin moderated the Universal Title match contract signing between Champion Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman.

After the contract was signed AJ Styles and the OC came out.

AJ mocks everyone in the ring and talks trash to the fans, telling them to shut up after he gets the “What!?” treatment. The OC gets closer to the ring. AJ tells Austin to stay out of this because it has nothing to do with him. The fans boo AJ more and he says this is why no one likes coming to NYC. The back & forth goes on as The OC stands at ringside now. Everyone chants “asshole!” at AJ. AJ says Austin has turned into a real asshole in his old age. The OC is in the ring now. AJ calls Austin an “old fart” and fans boo him some more. The two sides face off a AJ keeps running his mouth. Austin moves the table out of the way, which was separating the two ides. Austin says he doesn’t know where AJ is coming from, but he knows where AJ’s going. Strowman and Rollins attack The OC as Austin watches. Strowman goes out of the ring and runs over Gallows on the outside, and then Anderson on the ramp. AJ ducks a Stomp in the ring, then sends Rollins out of the ring to the floor. AJ runs his mouth as Austin sneaks up from behind. Fans cheer as Austin waits. AJ turns around to a big Stunner from Austin as fans go wild.

Austin drops down and gets in AJ’s face as the trash talking flies. Austin calls for some of his Broken Skull IPA beers to be tossed in the ring, then hits the corners to pose as the music hits. AJ is laid out on his back in the middle of the ring as Austin makes his exit to the back.

Later at the end of the 10-Man Tag main event, Austin came down and had a beer bash celebration with Rollins, Strowman, Cedric Alexander and the War Raiders.

After RAW went off the air Austin offered a beer and a hand shake with Styles. Austin hit Styles with another Stunner.