Real Reason AJ Styles Moved To WWE SmackDown
Phenomenal One said to be unhappy with one member of staff.
Although the precise details are far from clear, it has emerged that AJ Styles may have personally requested his recent switch to WWE SmackDown, owing to a disagreement with ex-Raw Executive Director Paul Heyman.
That is according to Wrestling Observer, whose forums report that Styles held Heyman accountable for the firing of his friends and on-screen partners Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in April. The Good Brothers were released from their WWE deals as part of the company's harsh budgetary cuts in the apparent face of the ongoing global health crisis.
Apparently, The Phenomenal One was upset that the Raw honcho didn't try harder to keep Gallows and Anderson around - particular as their firings came immediately after starring in Styles' WrestleMania headliner opposite The Undertaker.
Since AJ's move to Friday nights, Heyman has been relinquished of his role running Raw, and the two brands now fall under the purview of long-time staffer Bruce Prichard. Nevertheless, there is little chance of Styles heading back to FOX any time soon; the Georgian captured the blue show's Intercontinental Championship just this past Friday.
We'll report more details on this story as and when they break.