WWE News: AJ Styles discusses his injury and the online reaction to it
What's the story?
The WWE Champion AJ Styles recently sat down with USA Today for an interview on their For The Win column ahead of WrestleMania. During this interview, they discussed Styles' recent injury and the internet completely freaking out about it.
In case you didn't know...
Though Styles and Nakamura have never faced off in a WWE ring, even at WWE Live events, they did meet in an epic confrontation at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016 just before both came to the WWE. Nakamura retained his IWGP Intercontinental Championship with a Bomaye (Kinshasa) to the back of Styles' head and then again from the front.
The heart of the matter
Nick Schwartz of USA Today asked Styles what happened in regards to the injury that had a lot of fans freaking out about the potential of the WrestleMania dream match being ruined. He would explain below:
"A little of nothing. It was just one of those… got hit in the back of the knee. I think it scared more people than it actually scared me. I knew I was going to make it to WrestleMania, there’s nothing wrong with me."
Schwartz also asked Styles' thoughts on when something like that is caught on video and goes viral all over social media and inducing a panic in the process. He would say the following:
"Yeah, I mean it really does bother me because they don’t know the extent of it. They started worrying, more than anything, which I appreciate that, but it’s just one of those things where you’ve got to wait to hear the facts and information before you get so worked up about something."
Also within the interview, they discussed the upcoming match at WrestleMania. When the current WWE Champion was asked about WrestleMania being the first time that he and Nakamura clashed in the WWE, he summed it up in one word, "perfect."
What's next?
There is one edition of SmackDown Live left before WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans. Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles will travel to Nashville, Tennessee for one last meeting before their WWE Championship match.
Author's take
I witnessed first-hand how truly out of hand the rumors were on the internet regarding Styles' injury. It's unfortunate that a lot of people raised their blood pressure over nothing instead of actually waiting for an official word one way or another.
I can see why the internet freaked out though, nobody wants this dream match at WrestleMania to be ruined.