Steve Fall sat down with Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Candice Cordelia to discuss Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary.

Two top WWE Raw talents are set to make their way to the destination of this week’s SmackDown show.

WWE has two main roster brands with split rosters. Despite this, some performers are often seen on both Raw and SmackDown, such as Riddle.

There will be two superstars from the Raw brand at the sight of SmackDown this Friday but whether or not they’ll be on TV remains to be seen.

AJ Styles & Finn Balor

PWInsider is reporting that AJ Styles and Finn Balor are set to be in Minneapolis for the June 17 SmackDown taping.

As of now, there is no word on if they’ll appear on the FOX broadcast or if they’ll wrestle in a dark match.

Styles and Balor could be set to begin a feud. Balor had been aligned with AJ and Liv Morgan in the fight against The Judgment Day.

Balor ended up turning heel by aligning with Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley to kick Edge out of the faction.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jeff Jarrett claims AJ Styles was essentially “forced out” of IMPACT Wrestling before joining WWE.

Jarrett recently took to his podcast, “My World” and touched on Styles departing from IMPACT in 2014. This was just as Jarrett was making his exit from the company towards the end of 2013.

The WWE Hall of Famer notes Styles’ money was being cut, but the promotion didn’t want to cut his dates. IMPACT also began treating Styles, one of the founding pillars of the promotion, rather harshly, essentially forcing him to make the move to leave.

“I resigned December 21, 2013. In early December is when the Carter’s put the nail in the coffin for me and Toby (Keith) to acquire majority interest. We knew it was game, set, match.

“It was not happening. I knew I had to go. I knew Dixie’s position on all of it because of the, for lack of a better word, the financial de-spiral the company was in.

“AJ’s money was getting cut. They wanted to cut AJ’s money but not dates. He said, ‘If you cut my money, I’m cutting my dates.’ It was not just AJ’s contract. It was everybody’s. He was a complete, utter mess.

“AJ was so willing to commit to the product that he was willing to re-sign. I found this out later. They said some awful things and had devalued AJ. They basically forced AJ against his will to leave.

“That’s how committed AJ Styles was to the brand. He was TNA through and through. He had to be essentially forced out.”

Styles had been with IMPACT since 2002. Over the course of his career with the promotion, he racked up a plethora of titles and accolades, including two TNA World Heavyweight Championship runs, six X Division Title wins, and a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

After departing from IMPACT in 2014, Styles made appearances for Ring Of Honor (ROH), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), and various independent promotions. However, in January of 2016, Styles finally made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble.

“Road Dogg was very instrumental in bringing AJ into WWE because of his position at the time with the company.

“AJ was such a tried and true, and committed to his core. He was going to go back to IMPACT with Doc and Karl before he signed with WWE. He was that committed to the brand.”

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

A WWE superstar suffered a nasty cut at the conclusion of his match.

WWE Hell in a Cell took place inside Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The premium live event got started with a banger as Bianca Belair successfully defended the Raw Women’s Championship against Asuka and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match.

The show also featured a mixed six-person tag team match with AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and Liv Morgan taking on Edge, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley.

AJ Styles Leaks Blood

The Judgment Day ended up winning the match but fans noticed a doctor was checking on someone on the outside. Both Styles and Priest were on the outside but it ended up being Styles who was hurt.

Styles was busted open badly, seemingly from a spot where Edge threw him in a corner and he fell to the floor.

Here is footage of Styles’ bloody affair courtesy of Fiending For Followers.

Another rematch has been announced for the WrestleMania Backlash event. WWE has confirmed that AJ Styles will be facing Edge once again at the show.

This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw saw the Rated R Superstar and his new associate Damian Priest in a dark backstage segment. He issued a challenge to Styles.

Sarah Schreiber interviewed the Phenomenal One in the locker room. He accepted the challenge. The room filled with lightning after he agreed to the WrestleMania Backlash match. AJ then told Schreiber to leave for her safety.

The lights went out and Edge and Priest were surrounding Styles when they came back. The duo attacked the former world champion and they stood tall to end the segment.

AJ Styles and Edge originally faced off in a match during the night two of WrestleMania 38. Edge won this match after Priest distracted his opponent.

The previous match between Styles and Edge was praised by fans. Though many believed that it could have been better. The two will now be looking to tell an even better story in their second encounter.

This isn’t the only rematch announced for the upcoming Premium Live Event. Seth Rollins will also be facing his Mania opponent Cody Rhodes once again at the show.

• WrestleMania Backlash 2022 Match Card, Date & Time, How to Watch

Former WWE Champion AJ Styles is one of the company’s most exciting signings in history.

“The Phenomenal One” inked a deal with WWE back in 2016 after departing from New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). For years prior there was a lot of chatter as to whether or not fans would get to see Styles, widely regarded as one of the most talented non-WWE performers in the world at the time, compete inside a WWE ring.

That was finally silenced on January 24 2016, when Styles made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. Since, Styles has become one of the company’s biggest stars and now has over six years of experience with the company under his belt. Recently, Styles was interviewed by Wrestling Inc. to reflect on his WWE career.

During the interview, Styles revealed that it was actually Triple H who is responsible for getting him to WWE in the first place.

“Yeah, Triple H was here, and I am glad to see him, man,” AJ Styles said. “You’ve got to think, when I think about his retirement I am here because of him. Because he called me, that’s huge for me.”

Unfortunately for “The Game,” he was recently forced to call it a career due to health concerns. AJ Styles and Triple H never got to share the ring together as opponents in a television match, which is a shame considering they likely would’ve put on a tremendous program against each other.

For now, Styles is currently busy in the midst of his feud with Edge and Damian Priest. As for Triple H, he will continue to help mold the WWE stars of tomorrow from backstage now that his in-ring career has come to an end.

If there’s anyone on the WWE roster who knows a thing or two about getting their desired WrestleMania opponent when it’s all said and done, it’s AJ Styles. Styles named both The Undertaker and Edge as opponents he’d like to face at “The Show Of Shows,” before ultimately landing each of those respective matches.

Of course, Styles ended up losing both of those matches, most recently to “The Rated-R Superstar” at WrestleMania 38 this past weekend, thanks to a distraction from Damian Priest. However, speaking to WrestleZone recently, Styles was asked who else is on his list of desired WrestleMania opponents. “The Phenomenal One” seems to be more interested in facing opponents who have been around in WWE longer than him. However, that list is growing shorter by the day.

With that being said, Styles named former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio as a potential opponent at WrestleMania down the line.

“It’s hard to say. I mean, who are those guys that when you think back, is it Rey Mysterio? I’ve never really had a long program or anything with him,” Styles said. “I’ve wrestled him once or twice but I never had a story with him.

“But, I don’t know, Edge [is this year]… I’ve tried to get Triple H in the ring but it looks like that’s not gonna happen. We’re running out of these guys who’ve been around longer than me.”

As AJ Styles mentioned, he and Mysterio have shared the ring numerous times before, but it wasn’t in a long storyline. Their last meeting was an Elimination Chamber qualifying match on Monday Night RAW back in January.

As for Mysterio, he’s currently wrapping up a storyline alongside his son, Dominik, where the pair fell to the team of The Miz and Logan Paul at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas this past weekend. Now the pair seem to be angling towards a feud with Veer on Monday Night RAW.

• Rey Mysterio Marks 20 Years with WWE

AJ Styles competed in a dream match at WrestleMania 38 when The Phenomenal one went up against Edge in a singles match on night 2 of the PPV.

Though what caught people’s attention was the fact that the former world champion was cut open even before the match began. A pretty noticeable cut was visible on his upper right cheek during his entrance

There was a lot of speculation on what happened with AJ. It appears that he suffered the cut after bumping into the star-shaped entranceway as seen in the video below:

AJ Styles vs Edge at WrestleMania

Despite the cut, the former NJPW star went on to have a lengthy match with Edge. The injury didn’t seem to have bothered him much during the contest.

The ending of this match saw AJ Styles hitting a Styles Clash in his third attempt. To the surprise of the crowd Edge somehow managed to kick out of the finisher.

AJ then went to the ring apron for a Phenomenal Forearm but Damian Priest came out of nowhere. Styles got distracted for a second before focusing on his opponent.

The distraction was enough for Edge to counter and he knocked Styles out with a spear while he was still in the air. Edge went on to pin the former champion. This appears to be the start of the reported heel faction led by the Rated R Superstar.

• WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 2 Results: Lesnar vs. Reigns, Austin & McMahon, Edge vs. AJ Styles

WWE has thrown big money to re-sign superstars such as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn recently. So the reports of AJ Styles re-signing with the company that came last month didn’t surprise a lot of people.

Though the Phenomenal One recently made a clarification. He explained that he has just extended his deal instead of signing a new one.

Styles confirmed this tidbit during an interview with Inside The Ropes. He explained that he had a player option in his contract:

“Let me make one thing clear. I didn’t sign anything, recently. I had something on my contract where I got to decide, kind of a player option, what I want to do, and we just extended the contract that I already had.”

• AJ Styles On Fans Wanting Him To Hate Wrestlers From Other Promotions

‘I Don’t Want To Have To Work Anywhere Else’

AJ 44 years old, AJ knows that his days in the ring are numbered and he has started thinking about his post wrestling career. Styles said that if he gets the chance, he would like to stay with WWE when he can’t wrestle anymore:

“Time is running out, as far as AJ Styles is concerned. I am getting older. The ability to put on great matches is getting a little bit harder.

I don’t want to embarrass myself at the same time. I want to get out while I can and still have somewhat of a legacy. I don’t want to have to work anywhere else. I’d love to work within WWE, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”

Styles said that he would like to become a talent scout for WWE. He mentioned how the company has changed their hiring policy but AJ believes that the people who come from the indie scene know the business better. They’ll be a better fit for the promotion because they can put their ego aside and focus on the story.

AJ Styles Reacts to Cody Rhodes Rumors

There are a ton of rumors swirling around who will be Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38 this weekend. The favorite for the nod is none other than former WWE and AEW star Cody Rhodes. Rhodes is currently a free agent after making the decision to leave AEW, and would be the perfect surprise opponent for Rollins in Dallas.

AJ Styles, who faces Edge at this weekend’s “Show Of Shows,” recently offered his thoughts on the matter speaking to Wrestling Inc. during media row. “The Phenomenal One” says he’ll believe it when he sees it.

“Listen, I haven’t seen Cody here, so I’ll believe it when I see it,” Styles said. “This is what we’ve been a part of for a couple, well I’ve been decades. There’s a lot of rumors, but you don’t believe something until you actually see it.”

Title Match Added to IMPACT Rebellion

Another title bout has been added to the upcoming IMPACT Rebellion card on April 23. The event will go down from the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. On this week’s episode of IMPACT Wrestling, Rosemary emerged victorious from a 10-Knockouts Battle Royal to become the new No. 1-contender for Tasha Steelz’s Knockouts World Title.

Rosemary defeated Lady Frost, Jordynne Grace, Gisele Shaw, Jessie McKay, Havok, Alisha Edwards, Savannah Evans, and Knockouts World Tag Team Champions Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood to earn the title nod. Now, she’ll face Steelz for the strap at Rebellion.

Check out the updated card below.

• IMPACT World Title Match
  Josh Alexander vs. Moose (c)
• IMPACT Knockouts World Title Match
  Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz (c)
• Triple Threat for the IMPACT X Division Title
  Ace Austin vs. Mike Bailey vs. Trey Miguel (c)
• Eight-Team Elimination Challenge for the IMPACT World Tag Team Titles
  The Good Brothers vs. The Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Decay vs. Willie Mack and Rich Swann vs. Rhino and Heath vs. Jay White and Chris Bey vs. Honor No More vs. Violent By Design (c)
• Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jonah
• ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Eddie Edwards

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is back with another ‘hot take’ that’s sure to get wrestling fans talking.

On the latest episode of his Wooooo Nation Uncensored podcast, Flair and co-host Mark Madden discussed the new WWE Evil series on Peacock. The show focuses on the greatest villains in WWE history, but Flair’s conversation with Madden also covered some of the sport’s best babyfaces

Flair praised AJ Styles, who he’s worked with in TNA/Impact and WWE. Flair said Styles is a versatile performer who is likable on and off screen.

“AJ is one of the greatest babyfaces of all time,” said Flair. “When he wants to be, he can be soft and mellow, which he really is in real life. He’s a very humble guy. He’s very likable. He can do anything.”

The conversation shifted to Bryan Danielson, who now wrestles for AEW. Flair said Danielson is “very good,” but he is not in the same league as AJ Styles.

Flair wasn’t just talking about Styles being a better babyface than Danielson. In fact, he said Styles superior in every way.

“Bryan Danielson is very good, but he’s not AJ Styles,” Flair said. “C’mon.. It’s a big stretch to say Danielson is in any way better than AJ Styles.”

Listen to the latest episode of Ric Flair’s Wooooo Uncensored Podcast:

Author’s Opinion: Bryan Danielson and AJ Styles are regarded as two of the greatest pro wrestlers of this generation. There are many metrics one could use to evaluate a modern pro wrestler: In-ring work-rate, promos, memorable moments, career longevity, and many more. You could make a case that Styles it he superior wrestler, or vice versa. To say that Styles is better than Danielson “in every way” is quite a stretch.

Watch: AJ Styles vs. Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan)

WWE booked the latest match for WrestleMania 38 as Edge will wrestle AJ Styles on either Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3, 2022, in Dallas, Texas at AT&T Stadium. 

During the main event segment of Monday Night Raw, the WWE Hall Of Famer called out anyone to answer his WrestleMania challenge and out came Styles. Edge said that they’ve both been wanting this match and so do the fans.

He said he doesn’t want the tag team b**ch that AJ has been for the last year, but the pitbull. This led to Edge attacking Styles and a brawl broke out. Styles missed the Phenomenal Forearm and Edge hit a low blow. The WWE Hall Of Famer later connected with a Conchairto. 

Styles has publicly talked about wanting this match and now his wish was granted. 

Updated WWE WrestleMania 38 Card

• WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar – Title Unification Match
• WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair
• WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs Ronda Rousey
• Logan Paul and The Miz vs. Rey and Dominik Mysterio
• WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville
• Edge vs. AJ Styles
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Zelina Vega and Carmella vs. Sasha Banks and Naomi

AJ Styles has signed a phenomenal new contract with WWE. The former WWE Champion has re-upped for 3 more years and will make “well over” $3 million per year, per Fightful. This makes him one of the highest-paid pro wrestlers in the world.

Styles was due to become a free agent this summer. However, WWE never let things get to that point. They did not want a bidding war to unfold and made Styles an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Despite mass layoffs in 2021 due to budget cuts, WWE has not hesitated to throw big money at stars like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to keep them on board. As the wrestling war heats up with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), AJ Styles is somebody you do not want “seeing what’s out there.”

AJ Styles had a Hall of Fame caliber career before joining WWE in January 2016. He could have retired as an all-time great after his runs in Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Luckily for us, he was just getting warmed up. He’s held the WWE Championship twice, the United States title 3 times, the IC title and the Raw tag titles (with Omos).

Styles is not currently booked for WrestleMania 38, but he’s stated in multiple interviews that he wants to wrestle Edge at WWE’s biggest show of the year. He told Ariel Helwani earlier this month:

“There was that time when I thought there would never be an opportunity to wrestle him, and now, it’s here. The time is limited in which we can pull it off. Whether he or I retire first, who knows, but I want to get that match. I desperately want to get that match. I think it’s the one that most fans would enjoy.”

It’s no secret who AJ Styles wants to work against at this year’s WrestleMania in Texas. Now, the former WWE Champion once again doubled-down on wanting a match with Edge in a new interview with Ariel Helwani.

“He’s so knowledgeable, he’s such a superstar. I would love to get the opportunity to get in the ring with him,” Styles said (h/t ComicBook). “There was that time when I thought there would never be an opportunity to wrestle him, and now, it’s here. The time is limited in which we can pull it off. Whether he or I retire first, who knows, but I want to get that match. I desperately want to get that match. I think it’s the one that most fans would enjoy.”

Styles also referenced that Edge wants the match, too. Edge hasn’t been seen since he and Beth Phoenix defeated The Miz and Maryse at the Royal Rumble in St. Louis a few weeks back.

AJ Styles Has A Shot at the WWE Championship This Weekend

Styles came up short in a match with WWE United States Champion Damian Priest this past Monday night on Raw, but the Phenomenal One gets a shot at the WWE Championship this weekend.

Styles will compete in an Elimination Chamber match in Saudi Arabia on Saturday that will have Bobby Lashley’s title up for grabs. Also in that match will be Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Austin Theory, and Riddle.

• AJ Styles On Fans Wanting Him To Hate Wrestlers From Other Promotions

The rest of the card for WWE Elimination Chamber is as follows:

• WWE Universal Championship Match
  Roman Reigns (c) vs. Goldberg
• WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match
  Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lita
• WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
  The Usos (c) vs. The Viking Raiders
• Elimination Chamber Match
  Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Nikki A.S.H. vs. Doudrop vs. Alexa Bliss
• Ronda Rousey and Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville
• Falls Count Anywhere Match
  Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
• The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

In today’s age, the competition is fierce among not only the wrestling promotions but their fans as well. So much so that people want wrestlers who work for their favorite company to hate the talents of the competing organization. Though people like AJ Styles don’t agree with this sentiment and they want everyone to succeed.

The Phenomenal One recently had an interview with Ryan Satin for his Out Of Character podcast. They discussed how WWE brought Mickie James for Royal Rumble. When asked which stars he would like to see come into the WWE through the forbidden door, AJ took the name of The Good Brothers:

“Gallows and Anderson. Because you know they’re my boys. I enjoy being around them. It’d be fun. No matter where you work, we still are all friends and people want us to hate each other so much it’s crazy. There’s so many other guys and girls that we’d love to see back in WWE just for a moment.”

• AJ Styles On His Experience Of Dealing With Mr McMahon

AJ Styles Wants Non-WWE Talents To Succeed

The former world champion was then asked about this notion from the fans that stars from one company should hate the competitors from a different promotion. AJ Styles said that while he understands why the fans want it, he genuinely want people from other promotions to succeed. He explained that a lot of them are his friends and competition is good for everyone:

“I mean, I get it because they don’t like WWE or they don’t like the other competitors. They want it to be like that. The truth is, my best friends work in, you know, AEW or Impact Wrestling. I genuinely love the guys. So we want to see them succeed. We want [them] to do well. We both know that competition is good for everyone. So we want to see everyone succeed.

Even as a performer, you should want to kick you know, whoever is in your top slot’s butt, because that reflects on you. You’re doing well if you’re doing that, that’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing. It makes everybody turn your game up a little bit more. Freaking have a little bit more fun.”

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription.

This article has been edited for clarity

There are a lot of superstars who have had unpleasant experiences with WWE and Vince McMahon. However, AJ Styles is not one of them.

The Phenomenal One recently had an interview with WrestlingInc. He discussed being scared that nobody would know him before his Royal Rumble debut and more.

Speaking of the boss, Styles mentioned how he had heard a lot of negative stories about Mr McMahon before joining WWE, but they get along great:

“I love it, so many things I had heard about him in the past, and then I go and meet this man, and we get along great. It’s one of those things if you go up to him and you’re honest, and you’re professional, you have no problems.”

• AJ Styles Details Meeting With Vince McMahon About Twitch Ban

AJ Styles also discussed the belief that all WWE stars have to memorize the promos given to them word for word. He claimed that it’s not the case with him and he makes changes based on his character:

“There’s a lot of things being said about that, and I’ll just make sure everybody knows the facts. I don’t say it word for word. I do not do it.”

After being part of a tag team with Omos for the majority of 2021, AJ Styles has broken up with the giant. He is now a singles competitor again and is rooting for a match with Edge at WrestleMania.

AJ Styles continues to call for a showdown with Edge.

Edge has said on WWE TV that he doesn’t have much time left in his career. It was a big talking point during his feud with The Miz before Maryse and Beth Phoenix entered the fray.

If Edge is indeed winding down the clock, retiring without having that big one-on-one match with Styles would be seen as a bummer to many fans. Styles remains optimistic.

Styles vs. Edge?

AJ Styles recently told WWE’s The Bump that he thinks we’re close to seeing him share the ring with Edge one-on-one. Speaking to DAZN, “The Phenomenal One” doubled down on those comments.

“I want Edge. I feel like it’s one of the last dream matches I have left. And the fact that it wasn’t possible a couple of years ago due to him not being cleared is something I really want. The fact he came back now makes that match a definite possibility, and I’d like to have it at WrestleMania.”

For many, Styles vs. Edge is just one of those matches that feels special. Not only are the two well-respected veterans but they’re also future Hall of Famers. Their names will be etched in history and a match between the two is the cherry on top.

Styles recently qualified for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match. He isn’t expected to win it and if that hunch comes to fruition, it could open the door to that big WrestleMania match with Edge.

After WWE announced Mickie James for the Royal Rumble, there is lots of speculation on which other outside names can appear at the show. One of the biggest names thrown around is Cody Rhodes, who recently confirmed that he is not under contract with AEW and AJ Styles is all for it.

The Phenomenal One recently spoke to WrestlingInc. During the talk, the former world champion was asked if he would like to see Rhodes at the Rumble and he said “Of course. Who wouldn’t?” Styles also called him out to make it possible:

“Well, I think I read it on your website that he said he wasn’t coming back. I don’t know about that. Cody, I am going to call you out man, I don’t know about that one.” said AJ Styles, “Because, you’re able to do independents while working for AEW, right? So what’s the difference?”

Cody Rhodes is one AEW star who has always been open to a potential crossover with WWE. During an interview earlier this month, he explained that they want to keep things fresh in AEW. The former TNT champion claimed that their doors are open if the right business opportunity arises.

What do you think about the potential of Cody Rhodes making an appearance at the Royal Rumble tonight? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Ever since Edge made his return to WWE, people have been wanting to see him getting in the ring with AJ Styles for a one-on-one match. Now the phenomenal one is saying that we are getting close to this encounter.

The former world champion was a guest on the most recent episode of WWE’s The Bump. He discussed things related to the Royal Rumble PPV including his own debut for the company during the 2016 Rumble and more.

When asked if he has interest in going against the Rated R Superstar, Styles replied positively. He then recalled the last time they faced off in a ring:

“Absolutely, I think the last time Edge and I were in the ring together he separated my shoulder with a spear. Which was, you know, the way it should have been.

But we need to get back in the ring with a one-on-one match and get this thing over with.” said AJ Styles, “I want this match. He wants this match. When is it gonna happen? We’re getting close.”

• Update on AJ Styles and His Future with WWE

The last time these two stars competed against each other was during the 2020 Royal Rumble event where Edge made his in-ring return after almost 9 years.

Unfortunately for AJ Styles, he suffered a separated shoulder during the bout after taking a spear from the Attitude Era star. Though Styles at the time had claimed that Edge was not the one responsible for his injury.

If you use the quotes from this article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

There has been a lot of conversation of late surrounding AJ Styles and his future with WWE. Styles debuted with the company almost exactly six years ago as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble and has won multiple championships with the promotion since.

Styles has been pulling double-duty of late, wrestling for both the Raw brand and appearing on NXT in a feud with Grayson Waller. Some had been speculating that Styles might soon be on his way out of the promotion.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter commented on Styles’ status recently on Observer Radio and contradicted those claims.

“He just signed, I don’t know if it’s a three or a five [year deal],” Meltzer said. “It wasn’t that long ago when he signed it. He’s not going anywhere. He had the chance to go if he wanted to but he was not interested. There were certainly overtures made for him and they were good money overtures but he’s in his mind, I think he’s a lifer there. Whether that’s the right or wrong call, I couldn’t tell you.”

• Update On If AJ Styles Is Now A Babyface Or Still A Heel

Styles talked about signing a contract with WWE back in 2019 during an appearance on Lillian Garcia’s podcast. It’s not clear whether Meltzer is discussing that 2019 contract or a newer deal here. However, Styles did say at the time it would be his last deal and concluded by saying, “…this is where I’m going to end my career no matter what happens.”

During this week’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, Styles wrestled and defeated Austin Theory via DQ. Grayson Waller interfered in the match and attacked Styles.You can check out our full Raw report at this link.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcript.

As recently as December 26th, AJ Styles was a heel. He was a heel in his match against Omos on the Madison Square Garden live event the night after Christmas. On that show, he faked as though Omos had hit him with a chair and then won via disqualification. Last night on RAW, however, Styles appeared to be acting as a babyface. He even faced and defeated a heel in Apollo Crews.

According to a report from PW Insider, Styles is now a babyface.

“Going forward in WWE storylines, AJ Styles is now a babyface according to several WWE sources,” wrote Mike Johnson.

Omos is reportedly still a heel. This despite their breakup last week on RAW seemingly putting him in the babyface role between the two.

Omos was not on RAW last night from Detroit. He reportedly traveled to Detroit but was sent home earlier in the day and not backstage once the show began. On the show last night, Styles called out Omos but got Apollo Crews instead. He then defeated the former United States Champion in singles action.

Styles and Omos won the RAW tag-team championships at WrestleMania 37. They then lost them to the current champions, RK-Bro, at SummerSlam.

Monday’s edition of WWE Raw saw the breakup of AJ Styles and his Own Personal Colossus, Omos. The split came after the former tag team champions battled the father-son team of Rey and Dominik Mysterio.

If it feels like WWE rushed this storyline, you are on to something. According to WrestleVotes, the company did in fact accelerate plans to have both men return to go their separate ways.

“Source says both superstars have significant plans in early 2022, and wanted any type of blow off program done prior to the major Rumble & Mania events.”

– WrestleVotes

There’s no word yet on what WWE has planned for Styles and Omos headed into WrestleMania season. However, don’t be surprised to see Omos have a strong showing in the Royal Rumble en route to a feature program at WrestleMania 38.

AJ Styles & Omos

Now that Styles and Omos are a thing of the past, we can look back and see the pairing achieved WWE’s primary objective.

The company sees huge potential in the giant Omos. He commands attention with his larger than life presence. There’s no doubt he improved during his time working with the Phenomenal One.

It will be interesting to see who Omos is paired with after his program with AJ Styles winds down. There are several people on the Raw brand who would be a good fit to work with him. Similar to AJ Styles, WWE will want to select on a performer who can accentuate Omos’ strengths as he continues to develop.

WWE has announced the former partners will square off against one another next week on Raw. The show airs Monday, December 27th on the USA Network.

It was announced on WWE Raw last night that AJ Styles will be on WWE NXT tonight. This was set up in a video posted to social media by Grayson Waller. In the video, Waller was critical of The Miz having AJ Styles as his guest on Miz TV.

Waller said that Styles is a future Hall of Famer but is hanging on a little too long. He also told him to get a haircut. Styles responded to the video as well.

Waller then responded to the news that Styles will be on NXT tonight.

5 matches have also been scheduled for tonight’s show.

• Street Fight
  Raquel Gonzalez vs. Dakota Kai
• Pete Dunne vs. Tony D’Angelo
• Dexter Lumis vs. Trick Williams
• Von Wagner vs TBD
• The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed) vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake)

Omos Turns On AJ Styles

Styles’ team with Omos broke up last night. Omos ended up laying Styles out after refusing to tag in during their match against the Mysterios. The 7-footer then told AJ that the next time he would see him in the ring it would be for a match. Omos and Styles won the RAW tag team championships at WrestleMania this year. They would later drop the belts to RK-Bro at SummerSlam.

Recently, Randy Orton broke the record for most PPV matches in a WWE ring with his 177th match taking place at Survivor Series. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, when non-WWE PPVs are factored in, there are a few wrestlers who top him on that list.

When both TNA and NJPW PPVs are included, AJ Styles holds the record with 289 PPV matches. This is including the TNA weekly PPVs from their early days, however. Anyone involved in this era of TNA has a big advantage as a result. James Storm also has 228 PPV matches when TNA’s weekly shows are included.

Excluding TNA, ROH or NWA shows, however, Chris Jericho tops the list with 187 PPV matches between his time in WCW, WWE, NJPW, and AEW.

“If you don’t include TNA, ROH or NWA, the top person on the list would be Jericho with 187 between WWF, WCW, AEW and New Japan. Jericho was unaware of this,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The Undertaker has had 183 PPV matches when his time as “Mean” Mark Calaway in WCW is factored in. Triple H also had 7 PPV matches in WCW, bringing his total tally to 180. Big Show/Paul Wight is also at 180 when his non-WWE PPV matches are included.

Including TNA PPVs, Jeff Jarrett has wrestled on PPV 179 times and Kurt Angle 178 times.

The top-10 in WWE history are as follows:

1. Randy Orton – 177
2. Kane – 176
3. The Undertaker – 174
4. Triple H – 173
5. John Cena – 163
6. Chris Jericho – 144
7. Big Show – 142
8. Edge – 135
9. The Miz – 121
10. Kofi Kingston – 117
11. Shawn Michaels – 117

While Kurt Angle has retired from active competition, the Olympic gold medallist still keeps an eye on the happenings of the wrestling world. The rise of AEW has been the biggest wrestling stories of the past few years and the former world champion has big praise for one of the stars that helped start the promotion.

Chris Jericho interviewed Angle for an episode of Talk Is Jericho on Wrestling Rager At Sea Triple Whammy. The episode that was released recently saw the two long-time friends discussing a number of topics including Kurt’s TNA run. Speaking about his decision to join the company, Kurt Angle said wrestling with AJ Styles was one of the things that inspired him to join the promotion:

“You know, I got to wrestle with AJ Styles. That was my inspiration coming into the company. I had my eyes set on AJ. He was one of the greatest overall performers I’ve ever seen. The stuff he can do in the ring. He was great at technical stuff. He was great at high-flying. He had the whole ball of wax.

The great thing about AJ was you didn’t have to do any work. I mean, when you wrestled him it was like a night off. He did all the bumping. He did all the selling. He did all the flying around. All you did was catch him. And I could go an hour and a half with AJ and not even break a sweat.  But he’d be exhausted.”

Angle Praises Kenny Omega

Kurt Angle also had some big praise for the former AEW world champion Kenny Omega. He said that Omega reminds him of the Phenomenal one. The former WWE star claimed that both these stars have the it factor:

“Another wrestler that reminds me of AJ is Kenny Omega. Very much so. These guys are a step above everybody. For whatever reason. I don’t know what it is, but they have the it factor. These guys put on tremendous matches.

I’m not buying all the six and seven star matches by Dave Meltzer, but the only person that gets like six, seven, eight, nine stars is Kenny Omega, and he deserves it. It’s really incredible how good he really is.”

Apart from this, Kurt Angle talked about his feud with Samoa Joe. He revealed that he wanted to wait a few months after joining TNA and build the rivalry before finally having a match. Though the officials decided that they didn’t want to wait. Angle ended up facing Joe in his first PPV match for the organization at Genesis 2006.

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