AJ Styles is currently out of action with a shoulder injury that he suffered during this year’s men’s Royal Rumble match. At the time of this writing, there is no telling when he’ll return to the squared circle. However, according to WWE Hall of Famer Booker T , some people backstage will view Styles’ current injury situation as a holiday for the Monday Night Raw superstar.
As quoted by Wrestling Inc , Booker T discussed Styles’ situation on his Hall of Fame podcast, stating that Styles will be able to use this as an opportunity to spend time with his loved ones and to enjoy some deserved recuperation time.
“I don’t know how bad the injury is, but we called this a vacation. AJ, he’s got kids and a family. He’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the labor: finally making it to WWE wondering if he had the tools to actually be able to go out there and make it literally that next level. He did. A lot of people wondered, and I’m sure he wondered himself because AJ stayed away from the company for as long as I did.”
Booker T’s words suggest that Styles will also be feeling validated while he’s on the sidelines. He spent the majority of his career wrestling outside of WWE, and despite joining the company later on, he’s managed to become one of its biggest stars in the current era. Therefore, he can be out of action for a while without having to worry about proving himself to the company’s management team and performers.
HOW DID @AJStylesOrg DO THAT?! #MITB #UniversalTitle pic.twitter.com/prabL26Bon
— WWE (@WWE) May 20, 2019
While Styles’ expected return date has yet to be confirmed by the superstar or the company, Booker T expects the former WWE Champion to return in time for WrestleMania 36 .
According to the Hall of Famer, the paycheck he’ll receive from wrestling at the pay-per-view will motivate him to heal faster than normal. The former WCW superstar also revealed that WWE performers are willing to call upon a “witch doctor” to make it to the biggest show of the year.
Furthermore, Booker T believes a superstar of Styles’ caliber is likely to earn more money than most superstars as he’s a main event level performer.
Booker T also expects Styles’ durability will help him recover quickly. The superstar has been performing at a high level throughout his career, and even though some of his maneuvers are risky, he’s always been a safe performer who’s managed to remain quite injury-free for the most part.