AJ Styles suffered legitimate injury on WWE SmackDown

The injury AJ Styles suffered on WWE SmackDown was not part of a storyline.

Styles appeared to injure his ankle mid-match against Carmelo Hayes on Friday night, which eventually led to the match being stopped early. Initially, it was reported that this was part of a storyline and that Styles was fine. However, our Dave Meltzer reports the injury is legitimate, and Styles will undergo further testing to determine its severity.

“The AJ Styles injury on Friday was legit and not part of a storyline. He’s getting an MRI to assess the severity of it,” Meltzer wrote in yesterday’s Daily Update.

On Saturday, Jackie Redmond reported that Styles suffered a mid foot ligament sprain.

I believe everything happens for a reason. I’ll keep you updated. https://t.co/MgTn7awnV8

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) October 5, 2024

Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp would later write:

People in WWE claimed this to me today regarding AJ Styles

"The flip where he sold the knee was to be a work. The move where he landed on the knee was legit"

I don't have much of a follow up besides that but hopefully we see AJ soon

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) October 7, 2024

Meltzer also writes that other injuries being sold at WWE Bad Blood were part of storylines.

“The Bayley knee injury and Drew McIntyre back injury, which were done well, were works and planned part of the match stories,” he continued.

Styles vs. Hayes on SmackDown was Styles’ first match on WWE programming since Clash at the Castle in June. However, since then he has wrestled on house shows, on the European tour in August, and once for Pro Wrestling NOAH at Destination 2024.