AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy: Did they have real-life heat or was it kayfabe?

AJ Styles was a household name on IMPACT Wrestling (fka TNA). Before signing with WWE, he was also associated with Ring of Honor and other independent promotions.

In 2004, Jeff Hardy made his IMPACT Wrestling debut when he challenged The Phenomenal One for his TNA X Division Championship, and the two built up an intense rivalry.

Hardy went back and forth on his contract between IMPACT and WWE, resulting in him switching companies when his contract ended. At the Victory Road PPV in 2011, Hardy was set to go up against Sting for the TNA World Championship. However, the match was cut short due to Jeff Hardy being in an inebriated condition.

With everyone backstage seemingly uncertain on how to handle the situation, Eric Bischoff walked out with a mic citing that it would be a No Disqualification match. The Icon pinned Hardy within a couple of minutes into the bout to retain his title.

In the aftermath of the incident, the promotion turned it into a storyline, and Hardy went on an apology tour in a bid to make amends to all the talents. He approached AJ Styles, who had a lot to say about the impact of his actions on the company. This was apparently based on his real-life anger towards the incident.

On an episode of WWE Network's docuseries WWE 24 featuring The Hardy Boyz, many stars, including Styles, Sting, and Bischoff, discussed how they truly felt about the incident. When the two stars crossed paths in WWE, Styles claimed that Hardy had been through quite a bit and the two had become close friends.

"I was very upset because I'm giving my body, my career, to this place and some guy just comes in here and throws it all away because it's not important to him," Styles said. [H/T Wrestling Inc]

AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy feuded on multiple occasions in the Stamford-based company. In 2020, the multi-time tag team champion defeated The Phenomenal One to win his fifth reign as Intercontinental Champion.

---

AJ Styles' appearance at WrestleMania 39 up in the air?

In October last year, AJ Styles reunited with fellow Bullet Club members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows during his feud against former rival Finn Balor. The O.C. competed in six-person tag matches against The Judgment Day at Crown Jewel.

In December 2022, the 45-year-old star announced that he suffered a broken ankle during a house show. However, there has been no additional update on the duration of his recovery period.

With WrestleMania 39 not too far away and blockbuster matches being aligned, his appearance at The Showcase of the Immortals is yet to be ascertained. It has been reported that WWE has no plans in place for The Phenomenal One.

But given the extent of his injury, he reportedly not requiring surgery, so a potential return by Styles might not be ruled out just yet.

Despite being a major name on the WWE roster, AJ Styles' record has proven to hit a low point in recent years. At Survivor Series WarGames, he defeated the inaugural Universal Champion in his first win at a premium live event in over three years.

The last time he emerged victorious in a premium live event was at Crown Jewel in 2019, where he retained his United States Championship against Humberto Carrillo.

With his lucky win in November 2022, it remains to be seen what this year has in store for him following his return.