WWE rumors: Backstage reason why Vince McMahon paired AJ Styles with The Club again (Exclusive)
What's the story?
Last week on Monday Night Raw, we saw AJ Styles return to speak with his good brothers Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
Until he reappeared in that segment, Styles had been missing since losing clean in a high-quality match with Seth Rollins at Money In The Bank.
So why was Styles missing and why have Gallows and Anderson reappeared with him after such a long time in exile?
In case you didn't know...
In the latest WWE News, Styles, Gallows, and Anderson have an extensive history together as a part of New Japan's Bullet Club faction. All three men would debut in WWE very close together and team up as a trio in the early days of Styles' feud with Cena. After a strong first year, Gallows and Anderson lost their Raw tag team championships to The Hardy Boyz in a fatal four-way tag team ladder match at Wrestlemania 33.
Since then, while Styles continues to go from strength to strength and championship match to championship match, Gallows and Anderson have been nowhere to be seen. This all came to a head recently according to the rumor mill.
Gallows and Anderson are believed to have rejected major contract offers that would tie them to WWE for a considerable length of time.
The heart of the matter
AJ Styles is currently carrying an injury that has left him a little battered and drained. This is important because Styles' drawing potential means that WWE is eager to get him back on TV but he can't be wrestling non-stop while injured. Sources, and WWE habit indicate that Gallows and Anderson have been drafted in firstly to lighten Styles' workload.
In addition, with Gallows and Anderson still not having signed a contract, management at WWE may have put the three men back together knowing that Styles is tied down to a long term contract. "The Club like a lot of things about their job. They like spending time with their friends and the hope is that even more time with people like AJ and Finn will encourage them to sign a new contract."
Finally, with the current landscape on Raw, it's highly likely that Styles could be a heel by Wrestlemania. With this in mind, having backup might help him get the boos when he officially turns.
What's next?
Styles vs Ricochet should be the step off point of some very exciting things on Monday Night Raw. How The Club fit in is yet to be seen but we can say quite confidently that where Styles goes, so too go his good brothers.