AJ Styles won't be appearing for WWE in the Royal Rumble, and will instead debut on the post-Rumble Raw. Bryan Alvarez reports that WWE are looking at that scenario, based on the worry that fans simply won't have a clue who he is. It is a fair point, the majority of WWE's audience (and Vince McMahon) know nothing about AJ Styles, and it would be a terrible start if he showed up to the sound of silence at the Rumble. The internet wrestling community is a vocal minority, and his work in New Japan / Ring Of Honor is just a niche compared to WWE's mainstream. Buzz around his signing doesn't reflect the reality of how he will be perceived live. Instead, there'll be a vignette, and then he'll turn up on the post Rumble Raw. As of right now, he's the only one of the New Japan signings to be going straight to the main roster. Styles has his work cut out for him in WWE, with perhaps only a year to make an impression. He'll turn forty next year and has been wrestling a high risk style for over fifteen years. His career is definitely coming towards an end, and that's why WWE are putting him straight on the main roster. It doesn't necessarily mean they'll push him in a major way, but there's a chance he could have some upper mid card success. More likely is that he gets an initial push and then vanishes into being just another guy.
