"That was their excuse" – When two WWE Superstars refused to travel with AJ Styles after shows
In the early days of his WWE career, AJ Styles rode from town to town with fellow O.C. members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. The three men have been friends for many years and possess undeniable chemistry when they appear together on-screen.
Unfortunately, at one stage of their WWE run, Anderson and Gallows became so unhappy that they no longer wanted to travel with Styles. At the time, The Phenomenal One was at the top of his game in the world title scene. His two best friends, in contrast, struggled to receive television time and meaningful storylines.
In 2019, Anderson explained on Lilian Garcia's Chasing Glory podcast why he and Gallows regularly left shows early without Styles:
"We were miserable. [Styles] would want to ride with us but we would kind of blow him off. We blew him off purposely because we didn't want him to listen to us complain. Because every ride – I don't know if it was healthy or unhealthy – but every ride we were riding, we were p****d." [H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcription]
AJ Styles also appeared on the podcast alongside Anderson and Gallows. Despite his disappointment, the two-time WWE Champion understood that his friends did not want to bring him down:
"I mean, I get it and I can understand where they were coming from because I was doing well and they weren't," Styles added. "At the same time, their excuse was that they were in the first part of the show and I was in the main event, so they would say that they were going to get to the hotel first. That was their excuse."
#TheOC just reminded you why they're the BEST tag team in the WORLD.
#WWESSD @LukeGallowsWWE @KarlAndersonWWE https://t.co/QWDGfwxZMU
WWE released Anderson and Gallows in April 2020 as a cost-cutting measure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their departure came shortly after they filmed scenes for Styles and The Undertaker's cinematic Boneyard match at WrestleMania 36.
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows reunited with AJ Styles in October 2022
Three months after Triple H replaced Vince McMahon as WWE's Head of Creative, he rehired Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. The tag team partners immediately reunited with AJ Styles on RAW to assist in his battle with The Judgment Day.
Gallows and Anderson are here! The OC is back and they're taking out #TheJudgmentDay!!!
#WWERaw https://t.co/PBAZk8Gxgt
The trio previously made a strong impression together during their rivalry with Roman Reigns and The Usos after WrestleMania 32 in 2016. They also feuded with John Cena ahead of AJ Styles' statement-making SummerSlam 2016 win over the 16-time world champion.
After being separated in the 2016 WWE Draft, Anderson and Gallows joined forces with Styles once again in 2019 on RAW. The reunion was short-lived, however, and ended when the former RAW Tag Team Champions were released in 2020.