What’s the story?
WWE Champion AJ Styles recently had an interview with Sporting News where he spoke about whether he is actually upset with his positioning on the Royal Rumble poster and when he expects his former TNA associate Samoa Joe to make his main roster debut in the WWE.
In case you didn’t know…
Styles and Samoa Joe have known each other since their Ring of Honor days in the early 2000s. Post that, they went on to spend a number of years together as part of the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) roster. During this time, ‘The Phenomenal One’ and Joe not only engaged in several feuds against each other but also teamed up on quite a few occasions. The two of them also left the company within nearly a year of each other, with AJ Styles departing first.
The heart of the matter
Asked about his reaction to his placement at the back of the Royal Rumble poster, Styles said that it was the fans that seemed to be more upset than him. According to him, the superstars who are more prominent on the poster are the ones who have been with the company for a long time and people know them more.
However, ‘The Champ That Runs The Camp’ did admit that he was a bit disappointed because the WWE Champion should certainly be somewhere in the front but reckoned that he knew the reason for it. This is what AJ Styles told Sporting News:
“It's actually people reacting on Instagram and Twitter showing me. I think they were a little more upset than I was. I get what's going on here on the poster. Those are your stars that have been here for a long time. So I get it. They're in marquee matches as well. They're faces that people recognize.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy with it. I think that the WWE Champion should be definitely up front but, at the same time, I understand the reasoning for the poster.”
Speaking of former NXT champion Samoa Joe, Styles said that he is an incredible wrestler and one of his best friends. He claimed that he will be on the main roster soon and it may not come as a surprise if ‘The Submission Specialist’ turns up at the Royal Rumble. ‘The Face That Runs The Place’ went on to add that even if he doesn’t appear on Sunday, Joe is due to be around very soon. He stated:
“Well, Joe is an amazing wrestler. There's no doubt about that. Always has been. Joe is one of my really good friends. It's just a matter of time before he's on the roster. It wouldn't surprise me if he showed up on Sunday.
There's always surprises in the Royal Rumble and you try not to get surprised, you try to see it coming but that's what makes the Royal Rumble so fun. If Joe doesn't show up on Sunday, he'll definitely show up soon. I know it.”
What next?
AJ Styles will be defending his WWE title against 15-time world champion John Cena at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Considering that Styles and Samoa Joe have been very good friends for a long time, the latter may choose the WWE Championship match as the platform for him to make an impact.
Sportskeeda’s Take
It has been a quick rise to the peak of the WWE for AJ Styles and with the kind of support he has been receiving from the WWE Universe, it may be difficult for the company to take the WWE Championship away from him and hand it to someone else, at least at this point.
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