AJ Styles returned to WWE television during last week’s SmackDown, although his match with Carmelo Hayes finished due to referee stoppage after Styles seemingly injured his ankle. At the time, it appeared to be part of an angle, although, on Sunday, Dave Meltzer would report it was “legit and not storyline.” However, since then, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has disputed this, saying he was told it was work, although Styles himself is playing it up as genuine.
And now, in an attempt to explain why he still feels it is work, Sapp has noted that the match ended on time, it was played up on commentary, and WWE managed to film him in both the trainer’s room and leaving on crouches despite the show being live and seemingly tightly scripted. Of course, Sapp may be incorrect, but given Meltzer’s recent track record, it is hard to know who to believe.
“WWE kept the camera on him, filmed him going to the back, the segment ended on time after he had his leg and knee worked over the whole match, commentary played it up. Then later on during a live show, they had a segment set up showing him in the trainer’s room, and then filmed him leaving the venue on crutches and aired it on Smackdown Lowdown. Then Jackie Redmond tweeted an “injury update,” which AJ ominously followed up on. There’s a lot that doesn’t pass the smell test.”
Sean Ross SappA few weeks ago, it was reported that the 47-year-old’s WWE contract is expiring later this year or very early next year, and it wasn’t known whether there have been attempts to agree on an extension. Styles did say in interviews after signing his current contract that it would be his last and that he intended to retire. Still, a great deal has happened in the industry over the past five years, and he would likely be turning down huge amounts of money from both WWE and AEW if he genuinely plans to step away from the ring.
