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AJ Styles’ Dramatic WWE Return With Possible Leg Injury
- Jan 27, 2024; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; AJ Styles hits a phenomenal forearm on Roman Reigns during the WWE Undisputed Championship match during the Royal Rumble at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

AJ Styles debuted in WWE for SmackDown in Nashville, Tennessee, and he got a phenomenal reception from the audience. However, the night turned a bit worrisome when sometime in the Carmelo Hayes match, he injured his ankle and limped backstage, barely putting weight on the said ankle. The severity of the injury is something that has not yet been determined.

AJ Styles Emotional WWE Come Back

Hardy introduced AJ Styles for his first WWE appearance since his loss to Cody Rhodes in an “I Quit” match at Clash at the Castle. Speaking to the fans, he thanked them for being there and confessed he had made some stupid decisions over the past several months. He wanted to start anew and vowed to rebuild his broken reputation, stating that his comeback meant a new chapter in his career would commence.

When AJ Styles uttered those words, Carmelo Hayes decided to chime in, and we got into a confrontation between these two. Hayes, who was looking forward to facing the United States Champion, engaged in a war of words with him. It paved the way for a possible confrontation when LA Knight, the current United States Champion, appeared on the canvas. Knight said he would endorse Hayes for a future title shot against Aldis’ client if the young fighter emerged victorious against AJ Styles.

The Match Takes a Turn

As nerves tightened, the wrestling match between AJ Styles and Hayes started. He did well in the following match, and Hayes was impressed with his physical strength when he walked from the ring to the ringside desk. However, the match was in progress, and the message was clear: He wanted to make a difference with his return. But after that commercial break, things took a turn for the worse.

Hearing the sound of the car horn, he attempted a signature move, dropping Hayes across his knee, but what exactly went wrong was not very clear. His foot was not placed firmly into the ground, and his knee gave way, which made it look rather painful. Unfortunately, even though he tried to push through, it became rather clear that there was no way he could complete the match.

Once AJ Styles dragged himself under the ropes, a ringside doctor was summoned to check on him. But to our surprise, the referee benched the match and declared AJ Styles could no longer continue wrestling because of an injury. Avoiding getting pinned for a three-count, before Carmelo Hayes could be announced as the winner, LA Knight emerged again into the ring and took down Hayes with a brutal BFT. Later on, the WWE commentary gave information that that man’s name was AJ Styles and he had to be rushed to the nearby hospital.

Final Thoughts

Fans are wondering how severe is his injury, and what this implies for his WWE career. As Styles promised to reclaim his career and completely come back stronger, the injuries posed a question of how this happened. Was luck not on Styles’ side or was this somehow planned all along? WWE fans will be eagerly awaiting updates on his condition, hoping for a swift recovery for “The Phenomenal One.”

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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