Since making his return to "SmackDown" this past Friday, AJ Styles has been the topic of conversation, particularly regarding what happened to him during his match with Carmelo Hayes. The bout ended via referee stoppage after Styles grabbed his ankle following a flurry of offense, and it was later revealed during the broadcast that Styles had gone to the hospital to have his ankle checked out.

Initially, the whole series of events was thought to be a work and that Styles was fine, though that has now been thrown into question. On the latest "Wrestling Observer Radio," both Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer gave the impression that Styles' ankle injury wasn't part of an angle, but that it was legitimate, though neither was able to provide a confirmed update on his condition.

This morning, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, who had initially reported that Styles' injury was an angle, chimed in with some new information, revealing that those in WWE had said Styles' selling of the knee during the match was a work, but that a move where he landed on his knee was legitimate. He further said that the word internally in WWE was that Styles was injured. Like Meltzer and Alvarez, however, Sapp was unable to provide confirmation on Styles' status.

People in WWE claimed this to me today regarding AJ Styles

"The flip where he sold the knee was to be a work. The move where he landed on the knee was legit"

I don't have much of a follow up besides that but hopefully we see AJ soon

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) October 7, 2024

The word internally is that he's injured. We will follow up

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) October 7, 2024

If the injury is legitimate, it would be a big blow on several fronts for Styles, who save for house show appearances had been off TV throughout the summer, following his loss to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle in June. Time on the shelf may also affect his status at the end of the year, with Styles' WWE contract reportedly set to expire either late this year or earlier next year.