Former WWE Champion AJ Styles, who was set to make his return to WWE SmackDown this past Friday, has failed to materialize. Styles, who was last seen at Clash at the Castle in June in a WWE Undisputed Championship match against Cody Rhodes, has been absent from WWE programming since then.
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After his loss to Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle, Styles stayed away from WWE. However, he did compete for Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he defeated Naomichi Marufuji at NOAH Destination 2024 on July 13 at Budokan Hall in Japan.
Reports last week indicated that AJ Styles was scheduled to return on WWE SmackDown in Tulsa, Oklahoma. However, the show featured an appearance by Roman Reigns, who attacked the new Bloodline members. Despite this, AJ Styles did not make his expected return. The show featured stars such as Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and LA Knight, but AJ Styles' return did not materialize.
Reports have shed light on why AJ Styles did not appear on the show. It was revealed that WWE had already finalized creative plans and decided that it was not the right time to bring Styles back. After scrapping his return, Styles released a major statement.
