Eric Bischoff addresses whether AJ Styles' WWE RAW promo was real or scripted

AJ Styles became the talk of the wrestling world after the September 8 episode of WWE RAW. Reacting to The Phenomenal One's in-ring segment, Eric Bischoff gave his thoughts on whether his comments were real or part of a storyline.

Styles defeated El Grande Americano in a nine-minute bout on RAW. Before the match, the 48-year-old referenced former WWE stars Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in a promo during a commercial break. He also implied that someone backstage no longer wants him in the company.

Bischoff was a TNA executive during Styles' run with the promotion. On his 83 Weeks podcast, the Hall of Famer explained why he thinks the promo was scripted.

"It's a great premise for a solid angle going forward," Bischoff said. "That's my take on it. I did see the clip, and it was on social media, so I was able to see it. I almost sent AJ a text saying, 'That was an awesome, awesome interview,' because it was heartfelt. It reminded me of AJ back in TNA when it was the homegrown stars kind of premise. That was a big thing for AJ back in the day at TNA. It reminded me of that, which is why I smell story as opposed to a real issue. Could be wrong."

AJ Styles' promo came amid uncertainty surrounding his WWE future. Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated recently reported that the RAW star "put feelers out" about possible opportunities outside of WWE when his contract expires in 2026.

Eric Bischoff on AJ Styles' current in-ring ability

Over the last two decades, AJ Styles has been widely viewed as one of the world's most talented wrestlers.

According to Eric Bischoff, the two-time WWE Champion remains a top talent despite being one of the company's oldest competitors.

"AJ's a phenomenal performer. He's an amazing performer. And, to this day, even though he's gotten older, probably lost a beat or two in terms of his speed and some of his abilities in the ring, but he's made up for it in so many ways. It really doesn't matter. I would be disappointed and very surprised if AJ doesn't have one really big run left in him over the next couple of years in WWE because he's too solid of a performer."

In the same episode, Bischoff reacted to WWE's announcement that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia.

Please credit 83 Weeks and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart