AJ Styles Held Talks WIth NJPW About Potential Wrestle Kingdom 17 Appearance
AJ Styles was reportedly keen on accompanying Karl Anderson at the Tokyo Dome
Jan 23, 2023
AJ Styles held talks with New Japan Pro-Wrestling about appearing on their January 4 Wrestle Kingdom show, according to a new report.
Fightful Select noted that The Phenomenal One spoke with people in the NJPW office, with New Japan liaison Rocky Romero telling Fightful's Wrestling Perspective Podcast that Styles himself thought it would be a cool idea for him to accompany Karl Anderson at the event. Romero added that he believes AJ would have been there, if it were up to him.
However, it ended up not getting past the discussion stage as Styles broke his ankle the week before the show. He hasn't travelled or been on WWE television since.
Fightful's report also said that the decision for Anderson's tag partner Doc Gallows to not make the trip was a New Japan call.
AJ Styles wrestled for New Japan between 2014 and signing with WWE in January 2016. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion had previously wrestled a handful of matches for the company in 2008 thanks to New Japan's working relationship with TNA.