Is AJ Styles injured? All you need to know amid his extended WWE absence
AJ Styles' last televised match in WWE was against Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle in June 2024. The Phenomenal One failed to defeat The American Nightmare for the second time in a row and missed the opportunity to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
Styles hasn't been on WWE TV since then. This led fans to wonder if The Phenomenal One was injured or if his time with the Stamford-based promotion had taken a different route.
As per Fightful Select, the former WWE Champion is completely healthy and has been featured heavily during the promotion's overseas tours and other live events. Notably, Styles worked several matches with The American Nightmare during the company's tours of Japan and Europe in July and August.
"AJ Styles is healthy and just isn't being used on WWE TV. He was on the WWE overseas tour but wasn't featured on television. He worked five straight nights in world title matches against Cody Rhodes. He also worked last month's Japan tour in world title matches," the report stated.
It's unknown why the Sports Entertainment juggernaut is not using Styles on WWE TV. The creative team may be figuring out his next direction following the championship match against Cody Rhodes this past June.
WWE RAW Superstar reveals AJ Styles as his dream opponent
AJ Styles' legacy in WWE is undisputed. The Phenomenal One has worked tirelessly to become a top superstar in the Stamford-based promotion since his debut in 2016. The 47-year-old is a two-time WWE Champion.
Meanwhile, in an April 2024 interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor Bill Apter, RAW Superstar Pete Dunne revealed The Phenomenal One as his dream opponent. The Bruiserweight revealed that he grew up admiring Styles, adding that he had been following the veteran's career since the latter's initial days in the independent circuit and in TNA.
"I wrestled him recently in a Four-Way, but I grew up admiring AJ Styles a lot. I was a big fan of obviously his independent stuff at that time and that early TNA stuff. We had the wrestling channel back in the UK. And he was on it a lot, and he was somebody I looked up to a lot," he said.
Meanwhile, Pete Dunne recently participated in an Intercontinental Championship Number One Contender's Fatal Four-Way Match against Jey Uso, Braun Strowman, and Ilja Dragunov. However, he failed to emerge victorious. It will be interesting to see if the company books him and AJ Styles in a feud in the coming months.