As part of the Intercontinental Championship tournament, AJ Styles would be brought over to Smackdown Live. While fans originally thought this was part of the new Wildcard rule that WWE put into place, but it would later revealed that Smackdown was once again The House That AJ Styles built. This would come after he didn’t have much left to do on Monday Night RAW, having multiple big PPV matches in a row, and losing his best friends when Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson would be released from the company. Because of this, the move to Smackdown Live is something AJ Styles feels very good about.
AJ Styles Needed A Change
While speaking with Corey Graves on the After The Bell Podcast, AJ Styles would speak on this move to Smackdown Live. “I needed a change. Losing Gallows & Anderson really hurt me. Getting away from Raw helps me get over it — I don’t know if I’ll get over it, but it helps change the atmosphere around me and to do something different. My whole time on Raw was basically with them. To get away from that and get to SmackDown, where I’ve had a lot of success, it’s a good thing,”
It was obvious that Gallows, Anderson & Styles were all always having a great time working together, having been long time best friends. With them gone, he was even more directionless as part of Monday Night RAW. While yes, he could have been a worthy challenger for Drew McIntyre as he goes for his third WWE Championship, but him not being there gives someone like Andrade or Angel Garza who has never sniffed the title to potentially get that shot instead.
Smackdown Needed More Stars
Meanwhile, him moving to Smackdown Live has really done a lot for building that roster up. People have noticed a lack of star power, especially with Roman Reigns gone from the brand. Bringing in names like AJ Styles, Matt Riddle and building up names like Otis & Drew Gulak will do a lot for the future of the brand.
Do you think AJ Styles will thrive once again on Smackdown Live? Will he become Universal Champion before long? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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