Did AJ Styles really get injured on WWE SmackDown? What we know about his injury

The latest episode of WWE SmackDown witnessed the sensational return of AJ Styles, but things didn’t unfold as expected as Styles appeared to injure his leg during the match. This occurred when The Phenomenal One was squaring off against Carmelo Hayes. During a springboard move, Styles’ leg apparently landed wrongly. While AJ tried to follow with another move, however, his knee seemingly buckled and Styles retreated to the corner, clearly in distress, causing the match to end abruptly. After the incident, the referee checked on the veteran and escorted him backstage with the medical team.

This moment sparked curiosity and concern among fans, who questioned whether Styles’ injury was real or part of a storyline.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but it’s possible that this injury angle could be part of the storyline. This assumption stems from the fact that referee Charles Robinson didn’t throw the 'X' sign in the air after the incident occurred.

Typically, when a WWE star suffers a legitimate injury and is unable to continue any further in the match, the official throws an 'X' sign to indicate the injury is real and not part of the storyline. As observed, this did not happen in AJ Styles' case, and it suggests that the injury may be part of a scripted angle. Besides, the referee simply crossed his arms and ended the match without the 'X' sign.

Furthermore, Styles was later seen backstage being examined by a doctor, and WWE referred to the location as a hospital. However, many fans believe it was just a backstage area of SmackDown, not an actual hospital.

Taking into account all these signs, it seems likely that what happened to AJ Styles upon his return to the blue brand is part of a storyline, and he may not have suffered a real-life injury. However, we will have to wait for official confirmation or reports that provide more details on Styles’ situation following the incident.

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What could be the reason behind AJ Styles' injury angle on WWE SmackDown?

If this injury angle is part of the storyline, the question arises: What could be the reason behind it? One potential reason could be that the Stamford-based promotion might not have any immediate plans for AJ Styles, which is why they may have chosen to write him out of television once again.

It has been quite a while since The Phenomenal One last appeared on TV, even though many fans have been demanding his return, as he has been competing in live events but not on television. Due to this, WWE might have brought AJ Styles back to SmackDown only to set up another injury angle, allowing them to keep the veteran off television for a bit longer.

This allows the company to develop stronger creative plans for the former world champion.

During his promo on SmackDown, Styles also talked about rebuilding his legacy, which hints that WWE could be working on something significant for his future. It remains to be seen how things will unfold in the coming weeks and what’s next for The Phenomenal One after the latest edition of the blue brand.