‘The Phenomenal One’ aka AJ Styles said he needed a change after his tag team partners Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows were released by Raw.
WWE start AJ Styles (Twitter Image)
HIGHLIGHTS
- AJ Styles was hurt by the release of his OC members Anderson and Gallows
- AJ Styles said he left Raw because he needed a change
- I couldn’t take care of my little brothers: Styles had said earlier
The Coronavirus pandemic is the indirect reason why WWE superstar AJ Styles recently left Raw for SmackDown. The 2-time WWE champion during his appearance on the WWE After The Bell talked about his move in brief and revealed that he “needed a change” and so had to move to the blue brand.
AJ Styles again said that Styles SmackDown is “The House That AJ Styles Built” and his move is part of his process to deviate his mind from the thoughts of OC members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows’ release. In April, around 300 staff, including 20 performers, were either released or furloughed by Raw as a cost-cutting measure.
The Phenomenal One, who had earlier said that he was “devastated” by the news of their release, said that he spent most of his time on Raw with Anderson and Gallows and their absence was hurting him. The 42-year-old added that he needed a change which was not possible while staying at Raw.
“It’s moving to Fox and I think they’re doing a good job, so I’m excited about that. Doing something different is good for me. I needed a change. Losing Gallows and Anderson really hurt me. Getting away from Raw helps me get over it—I don’t know if I’ll get over it, but it helps change the atmosphere around me and to do something different. My whole time on Raw was basically with them. To get away from that and get to SmackDown, where I’ve had a lot of success, it’s a good thing,” Styles said.
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows had aided AJ Styles in the Boneyard Match between Styles and The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36. The released duo helped AJ Styles to their maximum capacity and even got severe hitting form The Undertaker.
“The only way I can explain it is that these guys are my family and I couldn’t take care of my little brothers. I didn’t manage to do that and I feel responsible for them being released. It’s devastating.
“This stuff is expected with everything that’s going on but I am as shocked as you are with some of the guys that got released” AJ Styles had earlier said.
