AJ Styles apparently hasn’t been secretly running the WWE Performance Center after all. A new report is pushing back on that rumor, although it sounds like Styles is still becoming a pretty important presence behind the scenes.
According to Fightful Select, a Performance Center source denied that Styles has been “running things” at the facility. Instead, AJ recently stepped in to finish one class, which may have helped fuel some of the speculation about just how much responsibility he has already taken on.
“Regarding Styles, one Performance Center source said he has not been running things as rumored, but filled in to finish a class recently.”
That doesn’t mean Styles is just randomly popping into the Performance Center whenever he feels like it. The same source described him as a regular and well-liked presence there, with his influence expected to continue growing.
“They also called him a constant and positive presence in the Performance Center, and is expected to continue to gain influence.”
That’s a pretty important distinction considering the rumors surrounding Styles lately. Andrew Baydala previously claimed that AJ had quietly been “running things” at the Performance Center for months as speculation grew that he could eventually take on a much larger NXT role.
“Regarding the news/rumor that AJ Styles will take over for HBK in #WWENXT after #WrestleMania 43. Styles has been quietly running things in the WWE PC for months.”
There’s also been plenty of speculation about what happens if Shawn Michaels eventually moves into a different WWE role. However, Fightful has separately reported that many of those potential backstage changes aren’t finalized, so there’s no reason to start engraving Styles’ name on Michaels’ office door just yet.
Still, AJ’s growing involvement appears to be very real even if the “running things” claim went too far. Being viewed as a constant positive presence and trusted enough to step into a class suggests WWE is already finding ways to use his experience, with the bigger question now being just how much influence Styles ends up gaining over time.
Do you think AJ Styles should eventually take on a major role behind the scenes in NXT and the Performance Center? Let us know what you think in the comments.
