WWE Rumors of 'Monday Night Raw' Departure Are False: Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Fernando Quiles Jr. | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 12:10 PM ET

The rumor mill is back at it, but fans of one "WWE Raw" veteran have nothing to worry about.

False online rumors have long spread across the wrestling industry. Back in March, some speculated that "SmackDown" star Shinsuke Nakamura was on his way out of WWE. That rumor was debunked by reporters, and "The King of Strong Style" returned to TV shortly after.

New departure rumors have surfaced, this time involving a popular talent on the "Monday Night Raw" brand. PWInsider reports that despite claims on social media, AJ Styles is slotted as a regular on WWE programming. The rumor surfaced after "The Phenomenal One" was pinned by El Grande Americano in a triple threat MITB qualifier on Monday's episode of "Raw."

Fans had been skeptical of the rumors prior to the report. Styles had a backstage segment with Paul Heyman prior to his MITB qualifier and has been eyeing the WWE Intercontinental Championship for several weeks. If anything, the loss on Monday opens the door for Styles to challenge titleholder Dominik Mysterio at some point.

Despite recent losses, Styles does have a case to make to challenge Mysterio. During the Feb. 17 episode of "WWE Raw," Styles pinned Mysterio in singles action. While Mysterio wasn't a singles champion at the time, WWE can easily use that outcome as a reason to book a rematch. It also helps that Styles defeated Finn Balor of The Judgment Day on the May 12 episode of the red brand.

Styles hasn't held singles gold since 2020, when he was the WWE Intercontinental Champion. He was one half of the WWE 'Raw' Tag Team Champions along with Omos back in 2021.

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

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