For decades, AJ Styles has been a workhorse in the wrestling business while consistently putting on classic matches and is known for his durability.
Styles was put on the sidelines for several months when he suffered an ankle injury in late December at a WWE house show in Hershey, PA, during a mixed tag team match when he teamed with Karl Anderson, & Mia Yim vs. Finn Balor, Damian Priest, & Rhea Ripley.
The injury seemingly happened in an over-the-top-rope spot as the referee threw up the “X” signal and they went straight to the finish before Styles was helped up by Gallows and Anderson and could not walk under his own power.
On the April 28th edition of WWE SmackDown, the former WWE Champion returned to WWE television, where he has been pushed as a top star.
While speaking with The Daily Mail, Styles discussed the injury and his recovery.
“It was a simple thing, something I’ve done a million times and usually it happens the same. I was taking a backdrop, and I could have hit my back on the apron a little bit, but in that couple of seconds of landing on the outside my ankle, depending on the mat and where it was, turned in on me and snapped. I knew right when I did it, it was one of those things, it was like ‘I’m done’. As far as rehab is concerned, as soon as I’m able to rehab, I’m on rehab and it’s crazy how being in a boot for a while you forget how to there are certain things we take for granted – like walking and running and jumping.
It’s like my body had to rehab that, I actually went for another MRI because I thought something wasn’t right. But they said the reason why it’s hurting so bad is because there’s so much inflammation. Once I realized that and that I wasn’t going to tear or rip anything I got after it because I wanted to get better. I was able to focus on jumping and running and stuff like that and it was like overnight it changed. Once you tell your brain you can do it, you can. It was really that simple once I realized I could put forward my best effort.”
Styles meets Seth Rollins in the WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament Finals this Saturday at the Night of Champions PLE in Saudi Arabia.
