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The jaw-dropping return of two-time WWE Champion sporting a physique so sculpted to Friday Night SmackDown left fans speechless and questioning whether Triple H had thrown out the wellness policy.
The star in question is none other than AJ Styles, who has won the world championship twice in the Stamford-based promotion. The 46-year-old was put on the shelf for almost two months by The Bloodline's Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.
The Phenomenal One was set to team up with John Cena to face Uso and The Enforcer at the 2023 Fastlane Premium Live Event. However, The Bloodline members brutally assaulted Styles on an episode of the Blue brand show in a backstage segment and sent him packing.
He returned during the closing moments of the December 15 edition of WWE SmackDown to even the odds for Randy Orton and LA Knight when The Bloodline attacked them.
The 46-year-old star took out Roman Reigns with a Phenomenal Forearm and sent the heel faction retreating from the ring. In a move that sent shockwaves through the WWE Universe, Styles then turned heel and took out Knight.
The two-time World Champion's return to SmackDown wasn't just a comeback, it was a revelation. His physique was a testament to his absence from TV, leaving fans wondering if he'd been secretly training with Orton.
Check out the screengrab of a few fan reactions below:
Why did AJ Styles attack LA Knight on WWE SmackDown?
As mentioned earlier, The Phenomenal One was out of in-ring action due to a brutal assault from Sikoa and Uso. Before going on a hiatus, many fans suggested that Reigns and AJ Styles would get involved in a program as the latter star wanted to set his sights on the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Replacing The Phenomenal One, Knight took his spot for the Fastlane PLE. The Megastar and the Leader of the Cenation went into tag team action against The Bloodline.
Followed by a hard-hitting contest, the babyfaces emerged victorious over the heels. After that, LA Knight also faced Roman Reigns for the world championship at the 2023 Crown Jewel.
Given that the 41-year-old star took AJ Styles' spot for the Undisputed Universal title in Saudi Arabia, it can be considered a possible reason for the massive heel turn of The Phenomenal One.
It will be exciting to see how the story unfolds between Knight, Orton, and Styles to get their hands on The Bloodline.
What did you think of AJ Styles looking jacked on his WWE return? Sound off in the comments section below.
