WWE teased a big rivalry between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe during the latest episode of SmackDown Live and it appears that we will get to see these two clashing inside a WWE ring, not in too distant future.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, WWE is planning a WWE title feud between these two in the upcoming time after Styles culminates his rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura.
This report also reveals a possible spoiler for Backlash as a championship feud between Joe and AJ would mean that the current Champion will retain his title at the upcoming PPV.
Though it’s not specified when this rivalry will actually start so it’s possible that the encounter between Nakamura and Styles at the upcoming show may not be the final bout of their current rivalry.
It this report is true, then it would be interesting to see what the company has in store for the Japanese Star after his feud with the current WWE Champion ends.
An exciting possibility is that Shinsuke could start a feud with none other than the former SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, who he faced in a dark match after this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show.
Though whether or not these reports are true and whether the company is actually planning a feud between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe should be revealed in the upcoming week or so.
Styles is set to defend the WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura at Backlash this Sunday.
WWE Champion AJ Styles has taken the WWE by storm since signing a few years ago.
Styles made his name known while in TNA Wrestling, now known as Impact Wrestling, from 2002–2013 well before he signed with the sports entertainment company.
Styles first appeared on WWE television in 2002 but turned down a developmental contract he was offered by the company. He signed a multi-year contract with WWE fourteen years later in January 2016 and made his re-debut at that month’s Royal Rumble. After appearing at his first WrestleMania 32 that April against Chris Jericho, Styles headlined multiple pay-per-view events and won the WWE Championship twice.
Styles was recently a guest on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast where he spoke about various topics including Daniel Bryan.
Ever since the former SmackDown General manager was recently cleared by WWE doctors, Styles, as well as other WWE Superstars, have gone on record by stating that they would like to wrestle the former WWE Champion.
“Selfishly, I was hoping he [Bryan] would have gotten cleared before. Did I expect him to be cleared? No, but the fact that he did is awesome. Reminded me of when Shawn Michaels came back. I remember just praying for him to not get hurt because you just never know, and then he goes out and becomes Shawn Michaels. I feel like I am in the best run of my career as well.” What are your thoughts on Styles’ comments about Bryan? Sound off in the comment section below.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America will induct nine new Club alumni into their Alumni Hall of Fame during a ceremony this week including Hulk Hogan.
The ceremony, which will honor alumni who have gone on from their Boys & Girls Club to make contributions in their professions, is slated to be hosted by Courtney B. Vance.
During the interview, he gave some high praise to WWE Champion AJ Styles, who is slated to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura in a No DQ Match at this Sunday’s Backlash pay-per-view event that takes place in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center.
“AJ has turned out to be one heck of a performer, one of the best in the world,” said Hogan. “Beyond that, he’s just such a good person.”
“What AJ does in the ring is phenomenal, and that’s why we call him the ‘Phenomenal One’, but when he’s outside the ring, he’s even more phenomenal,” said Hogan. “It’s so cool to see how he takes care of his family and loves his kids. If people saw him outside of when he wrestles, they’d have even more admiration for him.”
Hogan has been a household name in the world of professional wrestling for decades now. He has wrestled some of the biggest names in the history of pro wrestling, and although he has a long-lasting relationship with the company, there have been some hiccups between the two sides throughout the years. “So many people are so loyal,” said Hogan. “That support has given me my pulse. I’ve wrestled for four generations of people, but after all these years, I never thought the popularity would still be this big. I’ll be 65 in a couple months, and I had no idea there would still be this groundswell of interest. “People have stood by me through the good stuff, but also through the controversy. People were loyal and stood behind me even when big corporations made decisions based on their corporate policies. The fans stuck with me. It’s been amazing how loyal they have been to me.”
What are your thoughts on Hogan’s praise of Styles? Sound off in the comment section below.
– WWE has already confirmed that WWE Champion AJ Styles will wrestle Shinsuke Nakamura under the sports entertainment banner for the third time thus far this year. Their first match went down at WrestleMania 34 with Styles winning and their second match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event that saw no winner being declared as both superstars were counted out.
Now, Styles is slated to put his title on the line against Nakamura at the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view event in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center on Sunday. The WWE Champion sent out the following tweet to hype the upcoming match:
– WWE’s annual tour of the UK is right around the corner, and more lineups for these events have been revealed, which you can see here: Belfast, Northern Ireland (May 10th) — Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe — Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman — Elias vs. Bobby Lashley — Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler vs. Titus Worldwide with Dana Brooke — No Way Jose, The Ascension, Breezango vs. The Revival, The Authors of Pain, Curt Hawkins — Handicap Match: The Riott Squad vs. Ember Moon and Natalya — Raw Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn — Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley — WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Roode vs. Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal with Sunil Singh Dublin, Ireland (May 11th) — Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin, Samoa Joe, Jinder Mahal with Sunil Singh — Bobby Roode vs. Elias — Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens — The Revival, The Authors of Pain, Curt Hawkins vs. The Ascension, No Way Jose, Titus Worldwide with Dana Brooke — Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon, Dana Brooke vs. Natalya, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan — Raw Tag Team Champions Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy vs. Breezango vs. Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler — Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss — WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn
Shinsuke Nakamura’s heel turn at WrestleMania 34 was seen as the start of a long-lasting feud between him and AJ Styles so their match at the Greatest Royal Rumble was expected to be just a stop on their rivalry instead of being a culminating bout.
Now WWE has confirmed that their match at the show was not the last encounter we’ll see between the two by announcing a rematch for the upcoming Backlash PPV next month.
The match between Nakamura and Styles at last night’s show ended in a double count-out after AJ speared the Japanese star onto the announcer’s table and they both kept brawling outside as the referee counted to ten.
Though the duo didn’t stop fighting even after the bell rang and the segment ended with the WWE Champion delivering a phenomenal forearm to the former NXT Star onto to the ringside floor.
After the show went off air, WWE announced on their website that the Phenomenal One will once again defend his title against the former NXT Champion at the upcoming dual branded PPV.
Following the announcement, here is the updated Backlash match card:
WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz
Raw Women’s Championship: Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
WWE Backlash will take place on May 6, 2018, at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
WWE had previously announced that Brock Lesnar will be defending his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a rematch from WrestleMania 34 at the Greatest Royal Rumble.
And after tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live, the company has announced another huge Championship rematch for the upcoming Live Event from Saudi Arabia later this month.
The main event of this week’s episode of Blue Branded Show saw AJ Styles teaming up with Daniel Bryan to face Rusev Day. However, the match ended with Shinsuke Nakamura attacking Styles from behind while Big Cass attacked Bryan.
This was the third time Nakamura attacked Styles since turning heel at WrestleMania and after the show went off air, it was announced that he’ll get another shot at the coveted title during the upcoming event.
After the announcement, here is the updated match card for the Greatest Royal Rumble:
50 Men Greatest Royal Rumble
Universal Championship match: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
WWE Championship match: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
United States Championship: Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Bray Wyatt & Woken Matt Hardy
The WWE is set to head to Saudi Arabia later this month for the Greatest Royal Rumble event. One of the featured matches on the card is a 50-Man Royal Rumble match, the largest in WWE history.
Huge names like The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns are scheduled to appear. WWE has also now announced that they will be holding tryouts while in Saudi Arabia as well:
WWE to hold tryout in Saudi Arabia this week
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA and STAMFORD, Conn. — WWE is in Saudi Arabia this week in search of the next generation of WWE Superstars with a four-day talent tryout in Jeddah beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18, through Saturday, April 21.
The tryout, which will be hosted at the King Abdullah Sports City Sports Hall, will give more than 25 athletes from Saudi Arabia the opportunity to showcase their abilities with the goal of being selected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The talent pool will be comprised of elite performers with a diverse background in sports, including soccer, powerlifting, volleyball, boxing, jiujitsu, gymnastics, CrossFit and taekwondo.
The world-class tryout is part of WWE’s commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted by the Greatest Royal Rumble event on Friday, April 27. General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia Chairman, His Excellency Turki Al Sheikh, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invite the world to celebrate this signature event. It is the first event as part of a long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Greatest Royal Rumble card includes the first-ever 50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Match; John Cena vs. Triple H; The Undertaker vs. Rusev in a Casket Match; Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns in a Universal Championship Steel Cage Match; an Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match featuring champion Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Bálor; United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal with Sunil Singh; a Raw Tag Team Championship Match between “Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt and Sheamus & Cesaro; and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos, as well as a WWE Championship Match and a Cruiserweight Championship Match.
“WWE is dedicated to recruiting the most talented athletes and entertainers from around the world and developing them into global Superstars,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “In partnership with the General Sports Authority, we look forward to bringing the Greatest Royal Rumble to Saudi Arabia while showcasing this historic event to the world.”
The Jeddah tryout is the latest example of WWE’s global talent recruiting efforts. In recent years, WWE has scouted rugby and soccer players from Europe, kabaddi and kushti athletes from India, and martial artists and boxers from China. In 2017, WWE held a tryout in Dubai, which resulted in the first Arab woman, the first Indian woman and the first Kuwaiti man to sign with WWE.
Rare AJ Styles vs. RVD Match (Video)
Title Match Wrestling has recently released a video of a match between current WWE Champion AJ Styles and former WWE star Rob Van Dam (RVD) from Pro Wrestling Syndicate’s “Frightmare Before Christmas” event in 2014.
The special guest referee for the match was Jerry Lynn, and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson also make appearances. You can watch below:
This past weekend at WrestleMania 34, the WWE Championship match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura didn’t appear to live up to the hype for most fans. Throughout the build-up to the match, the bout was being promoted as a ‘dream match’ between the former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) stars.
Fans in attendance didn’t seem to be too thrilled with what went on in the ring, with pockets of those in the crowd even chanting “boring” at some times.
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Christian recently weighed in on the matter in a recent episode of he and WWE Hall Of Famer Edge’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness.
Christian explained how the crowd can affect the perception of a match, and even compared it to he and Randy Orton’s feud during his time in the ring:
“Sometimes the crowd can affect the perception of a match, [and] I think it happened during this one a little bit,” said Christian. “I think that’s where it started to happen when the crowd was getting fatigued. Especially, when it’s two guys that are babyfaces. And, there’s the title on the line, but emotionally, what else is going on? And I think what they did after the match meant more than anything that did in the match.
“I was thinking about the babyface match I had for the world title with Randy Orton when we wrestled at Over the Limit, and I was thinking, what’s the difference between that and this other than one was at Over the Limit and one was at WrestleMania? So, what I was thinking about is the emotion was not good guy – bad guy, heel – babyface. The emotion was, this guy who we’ve wanted to see at this level for like 17 years has been scratching and clawing and finally won it.
“And then, had it snatched from a guy who’s been patented as ‘the golden boy’ for years and years, and has been molded to be a top superstar gets it back after a couple of days. People didn’t want to see me lose it yet. That was the emotion. ‘Can he get it back? Can he get back to that level already, so quickly after he worked so hard to get there?’ People liked me, but they didn’t like what happened. That was the emotion.
“On this one, they liked both guys, so [fans] are just kinda choosing a side. There’s nothing else. So, to me, now I can really sink my teeth into this, because I think Nakamura now is gonna do better work. I think he’s gonna work more with a chip on his shoulder, I think he’s gonna work more aggressively. He works aggressive anyway, I think he’s gonna have a mean streak that he hasn’t had before, and I think it’s gonna amp up, and I think he’s done himself a huge favor by the aggression he had after the match, in my opinion.”
You can listen to E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.
– Bray Wyatt seems to be “Woken,” and that means he’s going to be a lot more vocal with fans on Twitter. One fan teased Wyatt’s relationship with RAW ring announcer JoJo Offerman, saying that she was an attractive and wealthy woman who is with a “fat neckbeard” like Wyatt – not for the money, but because she likes his personality.
Wyatt responded by listing out his accomplishments, before posting a photo of the fan attacking him and captioning it “You are this…..”:
– Relevant Magazine recently published an interview with WWE Champion AJ Styles. In the article, Styles talks about his love for Christian rap – as his faith is something that’s very important to him.
The Phenomenal One named Tedashii, Trip Lee and NF as some artists that he enjoys – but named Lecrae at the top of his list.
– Next week’s episode of Monday Night RAW will kick off the two-day Superstar Shakeup event. WWE posted a backstage interview between Mike Rome and Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins, who is currently on the red brand.
In regards to the Superstar Shakeup, Rollins said he doesn’t know what to expect and doesn’t know if champions are exempt. The Architect said he believes we’re in for a few surprises, and noted if he does take off to SmackDown Live he’d love to face AJ Styles for the WWE Title:
– As we’ve noted, Paige officially announced her retirement from in-ring competition on last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. WWE released the following statement on the matter:
Paige retires from in-ring competition
Citing medical reasons, Paige made the difficult decision to retire from in-ring competition during the April 9 edition of Monday Night Raw after four years in WWE.
In an emotional address, the brave Superstar thanked Daniel Bryan for his inspiration, WWE Hall of Famer Edge for showing her there is life after sports-entertainment, the WWE Universe for their support and WWE for allowing her to do what she loves to do.
A trailblazing Superstar who won the Divas Championship in her Monday Night Raw debut, Paige truly made the most of her four-year career and will surely find tremendous success in whatever she chooses to do next.
– Last night on RAW former NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon made her main roster debut, as she teamed up with RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax to defeat Alexa Bliss and Mickie James in a Tag Team match.
WWE posted the following video of Mike Rome interviewing both Jax and Moon to get their reaction on their win:
Last night at WrestleMania, WWE Champion AJ Styles defended his title against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura in a “dream match” for the WWE Universe. Despite all the hype and the potential, the match has received mixed reviews from fans and pundits alike. Many described the match as slow paced without the drama and excitement Styles and Nakamura’s matches are typically known for.
While the finish was pretty creative, there weren’t any huge false finishes, ridiculous high spots, or anything else that knocked fans’ socks off. There was actually a “boring” chant from the crowd during the match. The match’s placement on the near seven hour card didn’t help matters much either, as crowd fatigue set in mid-way through the marathon show.
Nakamura’s surprise attack on Styles after the match signifies a heel turn from the Japanese Superstar and likely the continuation of this program.
– Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss last night at WrestleMania 34 to become the new RAW Women’s Champion. This comes after weeks of Bliss bullying Jax for being and looking different.
WWE posted a video of Jax after her win, who said she’s happy with the message the match sends out to young boys and girls – not to take crap from people who make you feel insecure about yourself:
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura have made their final comments before their WWE Championship match tonight at WrestleMania.
This bout has been long anticipated ever since the two men stood toe to toe at last year’s Money In The Bank ladder match and the time has finally come for two of the world’s greatest performers to battle it out for WWE’s richest prize. This will be the first time that the two Superstars have faced in a one on one match since their epic encounter at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 10, a match that garnered rave reviews and was AJ’s final singles bout before making the move over to WWE.
Check out the comments from both men below and let us know in the comments who you think will leave New Orleans as WWE Champion:
At one point in my career, walking into #WrestleMania as @WWE Champion was a dream. At one point in my career this match occurring outside of Japan was a dream.
WWE Champion AJ Styles is going into WrestleMania 34 with a ton of momentum, and many fans of the WWE believe that his title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura will steal the show this Sunday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana live on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network.
Styles was recently interviewed by IGN to talk about various topics and promote this upcoming event. During the interview, he was asked about why he matches up well with Nakamura.
“I think we’re both unique and just from having been in the ring I know that he and I work well together. I can only say that from one experience, where we wrestled a one-on-one match, but I don’t know how to explain it. There’s just a flow to a match, to our match, that I really can’t compare to a lot of people. He’s so unique and unorthodox in his character and we just work so well when get step in that ring…I think there’s always something special about a build.
The fact that Shinsuke and I haven’t really touched each other these past few months. And that we’ve also never had a one-on-one match in the WWE. So it’s like, these guys are going to be in the ring together and they’re going to have to to go at it. No one’s going to stop it or break it up. The referee is going to either count to three or someone’s going to tap out. It’s going to happen.”
Since SmackDown General manager Daniel Bryan was recently cleared by WWE doctors, Styles as well as other WWE Superstars have gone on record by stating that they would like to wrestle the former WWE Champion.
“There are a few things that I’m selfish about and selfishly I’ve been wanting to wrestle Daniel Bryan in WWE for a long time. When he got hurt, I just figured it wouldn’t be a possibility. But now that he’s back, my mind is racing and I can’t wait to meet him in the ring. I’m so happy he’s back and able to live out his dreams and follow his passion.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling has released the classic bout between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura from 2016’s Wrestle Kingdom 10 show for free on YouTube/NJPW World.
This was the first ever singles encounter between AJ and Shinsuke, and it would end up being their only match together for New Japan. Both men reportedly handed in their notice to New Japan prior to this event, AJ appeared for WWE at the Royal Rumble later that month and Shinsuke debuted in NXT against Sami Zayn over Wrestlemania weekend.
The IWGP Intercontinental Championship was on the line in this match and it was generally regarded as the best match on the card. Many heralded this contest as the Match of the Year in 2016 so if you have not yet had the chance to view it or you have never seen Shinsuke Nakamura outside of his WWE run then now is your chance. This is an extremely interesting watch ahead of their upcoming bout for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34 next weekend.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE Champion AJ Styles might have suffered an MCL injury earlier this month. Styles and WWE have been quiet about the nature of the injury that kept him out of the ring for more than a week. The word going around within the WWE is that it was related to his MCL.
Styles returned to the ring at last weekend’s WWE live events but did not wrestle again on this week’s SmackDown Live. He’s slated to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 in just over one week.
The WWE Champion an interview with USA Today for the Win. During the interview, he talked about various topics including the most recent injury that kept him out of action. Here is what he had to say:
“A little of nothing. It was just one of those… got hit in the back of the knee. I think it scared more people than it actually scared me. I knew I was going to make it to WrestleMania, there’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Yeah, I mean it really does bother me because they don’t know the extent of it. They started worrying, more than anything, which I appreciate that, but it’s just one of those things where you’ve got to wait to hear the facts and information before you get so worked up about something. It is what it is, and we can’t stop this from happening, but why don’t we hear from the guy who actually has the issue before we jump to conclusions and get worried?”
WWE Champion AJ Styles is going into his third WrestleMania with the WWE, and just like the previous two events, he is being booked in a prominent role at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company.
Styles faced former WWE Champion Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 32 in 2016 and then wrestled SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon in the opener of WrestleMania 33 last year. Now, he’s slated to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 next month.
The WWE Champion recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of SI.com to promote the upcoming event. During the interview, he talked about his dream match against Nakamura at WrestleMania 34.
“This match is special because we’ve yet to see it in WWE,” said Styles. “The only other time we were in the ring together was more than two years ago [in New Japan Pro Wrestling]. “We gave people a taste in the “Money in the Bank” match, and that moment let everyone in the back know how special this match could be. The fans responded by asking for this match, and I want to give it to them. Shinsuke won the Royal Rumble, so now we have that opportunity.”
“If you know the history between myself and Shinsuke, you’re pretty excited about this match,” said Styles. “But even if you don’t, just think what Shinsuke Nakamura is capable of and what AJ Styles is capable of. To mix those two together is going to be something special.”
“Shinsuke has the same mindset,” said Styles. “He wants this to be one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history. I don’t know if we’re going to reach that level, but we’re certainly going to try.”
Since SmackDown General manager Daniel Bryan was cleared last week by WWE doctors, there have been many fans expressing their desire to see Bryan wrestle Styles in a WWE ring. Styles made it clear in this interview that he’s up for the challenge.
“Shoot, now that he’s cleared, who knows when Daniel Bryan and I will have the opportunity to get in the ring together?” asked Styles. “But who knows when I’ll get in the ring with Seth Rollins, or again with Finn Balor, or even Randy Orton? There are guys I have yet to get in the ring with, but now that Daniel Bryan is cleared and ready, he’s in line. Who knows what’s going to come first? There are a lot of great things that will happen in the next couple years.”
For years now, fans have wanted to see AJ Styles compete in a WWE ring and now that has happened, he is a main event player for the sports entertainment company.
Styles first appeared on WWE television in 2002 but turned down a developmental contract he was offered by the company. He signed a multi-year contract with WWE fourteen years later in January 2016 and made his re-debut at that month’s Royal Rumble. After appearing at his first WrestleMania that April against Chris Jericho, Styles headlined multiple pay-per-view events and won winning WWE Championship at Backlash in September.
He held the title up until 2017’s edition of the Royal Rumble in January. Styles has also won the United States Championship twice. He then won the WWE Title in late 2017.
The WWE Champion was recently interviewed by Raute Musik to promote WrestleMania 34 where he is slated to defend the WWE Title against Shinsuke Nakamura.
During the interview, he was asked if he will renew with the WWE after his contract expires and if he has plans for what he will do after retiring from in-ring competition. Here is what he had to say: “I don’t see why not if I can still do what I do. Like, if I can still be AJ Styles, then I would like to keep working in the WWE in a talent form, so as long as I can keep going, then I would like to keep working here.” “I think there is definitely going to be a time to just sit and chill with the family, but a guy like me just doesn’t sit at at home, so I would like to get back on the road, either as an Agent, or more importantly, become a Trainer of some sort. Who knows what will be around in WWE by the time I retire. There may be a better job than that.”
For the past several days wrestling fans have been in a bit of a scare as AJ Styles has been dealing with an undisclosed injury as of late. This puts the “dream match” between Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 in jeopardy. Nakamura won the 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble and elected to challenge for Styles’ WWE Championship in New Orleans. This is a match fans have been wanting to see for quite some time, especially given the pair’s history in Japan.
Recently Styles said that he would work on one leg if it meant making the WrestleMania dream match happen. There’s some good news in regards to Styles’ injury, as he returned to action this past weekend when he teamed up with The New Day in Eight-Man Tag Team action. He didn’t do much work in the match, but the fact he was cleared to work it should be a good sign. In a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that he doesn’t think the injury is any big issue since he worked this weekend.
He acknowledged Styles didn’t work much in the matches he was in, however, did note that the fact he’s cleared to compete is a good sign. Meltzer said there’s nothing to worry about in Styles working the match at WrestleMania, and said even if he’s on one leg he and Nakamura will still put on a great match. He also speculated that Styles’ injury could be MCL related, however, that has yet to be confirmed.
– WWE Champion AJ Styles recently did an interview with Sky Sports to promote his upcoming title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 next month in New Orleans. Styles was asked about his fans and peers labeling him the best wrestler in the world, and explains why he doesn’t agree with that sentiment:
“No, I would not agree with that,” Styles said. “I think there’s still a lot to be learned by AJ Styles and you can’t consider yourself to be the best when you’ve still got so much stuff to learn.”
You can read Styles’ full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.
– Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho also did an interview of his own, this one with Milwaukee Magazine, to talk about his WWE status. “Y2J” explained why he likes not being under a full-time contract with WWE, as it allows him to do what he wants and manage other projects accordingly:
“I don’t do things for money anymore,” Jericho said. “I do it because I like to do it. It’s a good place, man, to do whatever I want to do and to enjoy all these different projects and make sure that fans can continue to get a lot of excitement out of what I do. It’s very important for me to make sure people can never pin down what Jericho is going to do next.”
You can read Jericho’s interview with the Milwaukee Magazine by clicking this link here.
– For the past several weeks John Cena has been attempting to lure The Undertaker into a match at WrestleMania 34. “The Leader Of The Cenation” has called out “The Deadman” with a number of promos on Monday Night RAW, but is now taking his assault to social media. He posted the following photo on Instagram of a Cena character (of sorts) poking the head of The Undertaker with a stick, saying “C’mon, do something…..”:
– WWE Champion AJ Styles competed for the first time last night in a live event in New Jersey since his match with Rusev on SmackDown Live on March 13th. Styles teamed up with The New Day to defeat Rusev, Aiden English, Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin. After their victory, Styles celebrated with The New Day in the ring and even Twerked. You can check out the video here:
WWE Champion AJ Styles recently did an interview with Planeta Wrestling to talk about several professional wrestling topics. The WWE Champ is scheduled to defend his title against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura – a match many fans would love to see main event WrestleMania next month. “The Phenomenal One” discussed whether he’d prefer to open or close the show in New Orleans:
“Well, I think everybody wants to main event,” said Styles. “I think you wait on the last match to put on the best show. I think that’s it, that’s where everybody wants to be. But at the same time, there’s a lot of matches, so you don’t want the person to get sleepy or tired, so going on first like Shane McMahon and myself did last year was pretty awesome.”
Styles is one of the best in-ring talents of his generation and has shared the ring with some of the top names in the industry. He has an amazing ability to tell great stories with anyone he’s competing against:
“I think it’s all about the story that you’re willing to tell,” said Styles. “John Cena would obviously tell some good stories, same thing with Kevin Owens. And Shinsuke Nakamura, the story that we’re gonna tell will be no different.”
At last year’s WrestleMania in Orlando, Styles defeated SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon in the opening match of the main card. Styles feels he and McMahon stole the show that night with their amazing contest:
“Working with Shane was awesome,” said Styles. “We gave people a match they definitely didn’t expect. I think it stole the show, but I think that has a lot to do with the McMahon’s work ethic. They want it to be perfect, they want everything to be just right, and I applaud Shane McMahon’s work ethic. I think it’s unbelievable, and I’d do it all over again.”
After missing a house show in Odessa, Texas last weekend, AJ Styles is back on WWE’s house show schedule this weekend.
Styles suffered an undisclosed injury at the Madison Square Garden house show recently (or an angle was filmed on the show to cover for an already existing injury). Triple H commented on the possibility of Styles missing WrestleMania as a result.
“Right now he says he’s feeling a lot better and will be ready to go. Obviously, we’ll get him doctors to make sure that he is ready to go and get a medical clearance if that’s possible. He’s working very hard at it, so we’re hoping for the best.”
WWE House Show Schedule This Weekend
It’s a busy house show weekend as the company builds toward WrestleMania. Tonight, Styles will be at the “World of Wheels” Boston” convention at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston, Mass signing autographs. Styles and the rest of the Smackdown tour will be in Trenton, New Jersey on Saturday followed by Fairfax, VA on Sunday.
The Raw crew will be in Toronto tonight and Kitchener tomorrow. NXT also has house shows in Lakeland and Tampa on Friday and Saturday respectively.
WWE COO Triple H recently took part in an international media call to promote NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. “The Game” was asked about the possibility of WWE Champion AJ Styles missing his WrestleMania 34 match against 2018 Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura due to an undisclosed injury. He noted that while it would be difficult to replace Styles, you always need to have a Plan B and C in place:
“You always have to have a Plan B, [and] just in case you have a Plan C,” Triple H said. “AJ is an incredible performer. Replacing AJ Styles would be very difficult. [He’s] not necessarily a replaceable talent, but we would do our best.”
He also revealed that “The Phenomenal One” is working very hard to get cleared in time for WrestleMania and WWE is providing him with the best medical care possible:
“AJ is working diligently on rehabbing his injuries and getting himself in tip-top shape for WrestleMania,” Triple H said. “We are trying to help him with that process of getting the best care and the best rehab and everything else possible. We’re hoping for the best.
“Right now he says he’s feeling a lot better and will be ready to go. Obviously we’ll get him doctors to make sure that he is ready to go and get a medical clearance, if that’s possible. He’s working very hard at it, so we’re hoping for the best.”
As we’ve noted, WWE Champion AJ Styles was a part of an international media call to promote WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans next month. “The Phenomenal One” is scheduled to defend his WWE Title against 2018 Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura, which is considered by many to be a “dream match.” Styles was asked if he thinks he and Nakamura’s match could go on last and main event the show:
“As far as the main event goes, I can tell you which match is gonna steal the show,” Styles said. “You could either put Shinsuke Nakamura on last, and AJ Styles last, or you could have that [be] the only match people remember, because we’re gonna tear the house down.
“That’s what we do. We have the talent to be able to do that, and that’s what people are expecting. So, whether or not it is the main event, it will be a main event match.”
SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan was recently cleared to return to in-ring competition by the WWE. Styles was asked about a potential match against Bryan, which fans have been itching for ever since news broke that Bryan had been cleared. Styles said he’d love to step into the ring with Bryan and believes they can put on an ‘unbelievable’ match:
“If ever the opportunity for him and I to get in the ring together, I think it would be an unbelievable match,” said Styles. “It’d be fun.”
Styles was then asked about the rumors that he could be moved to Monday Night RAW by way of the WWE Draft. While he admitted it would be fun to be in The Club with Finn Balor, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson; Styles said he has no intentions of losing the WWE Title and can’t imagine WWE sending the WWE Champ to RAW:
“I think it would be cool if we all were in The Club together,” said Styles. “Who knows if that will ever happen, but it would definitely be fun. But, as far as moving to Raw, I don’t plan on losing to Shinsuke Nakamura, and I can’t imagine [WWE] would make the champ go to Raw.”
WWE Champion AJ Styles recently participated in an international media call to promote WrestleMania 34 and his dream match against Shinsuke Nakamura at the event. Styles discussed whether or not he believes this match is the biggest of his career, and also talked what it was like working with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. You can check out the highlights here:
You’ve been in 2 WrestleManias so far, but this looks to be the biggest one yet. Do you consider this to be the biggest match of your career, and what have you learnt the most from the past two WrestleMania experiences?
“I do think this is the biggest match of my career. I think this is the match that most people want to see. We’re doing it at WrestleMania, so it doesn’t get much bigger than that. I’ve learned that it’s huge, for one. Thousands of thousands of people are at a show. Just take it all in. Don’t rush to the ring. I don’t do a lot of things right, but my first WrestleMania, I took it all in and I think that’s the one thing, I’m, going to do every time I get the opportunity. It’s just not to rush to the ring, but just to take it all in and enjoy the ride.”
What was it like working a physical style match-up with Brock Lesnar? How do you feel you were able to bring out the best performance of his career in many years?
“I think that it’s something he’s always capable of. It’s all up to him if he wants to do it. I think he and I put on a spectacular match and it was a good opportunity for me to be in the ring with Brock Lesnar. It was an exciting match, one that one kind of expected but at the same time didn’t know what to expect. I think it was a great match and I’m very proud of that match.”
You can read some more form Styles’ participation in the media call by clicking this link here.