AJ Styles Is Headed To NXT 2.0 To Begin New Feud

Written by Sondra Ruth • Published 21st December 2021
AJ Styles

AJ Styles will be headed to NXT 2.0 this week and looks to be starting a feud with the brash Grayson Waller.

In an unexpected turn of events, it seems that former Raw Tag Team Champion AJ Styles will be taking his talents to NXT 2.0 on the upcoming episode to answer comments made about him by Grayson Waller. These comments come after Waller’s vicious attack of Johnny Gargano during his last NXT 2.0 appearance as well as writing LA Knight off television and stealing his car.

In an Instagram Live video over the weekend, Waller provided a medical update on LA Knight (saying that he’s gone for a while) before shifting gears to take aim at AJ Styles.

“While I’ve got everyone, something else I did notice the other day. Has everyone seen who’s on MizTV on Monday? It’s AJ Styles and Omos on MizTV.”

Waller said that he is a huge fan of The Miz, praising his reality show accomplishments as well as those in the wrestling ring, and asked Miz to step up his game when it came to booking guests for his talk show, offering to appear himself.

While the NXT upstart insisted that he meant no disrespect to AJ Styles and loved him as a kid, he went on to criticize the former WWE Champion.

“I feel like he’s kinda like that other guy I got rid of, like he’s just hanging on. He’s hanging on that little bit too long. Like he’s a future Hall of Famer, he’s won every belt but I don’t know man…. It’s 2021 AJ. Like, you have money. Get a haircut lad!

“There is one thing I like about AJ Styles, and I think everyone knows about this. That new entrance AJ does with Omos, where he’s riding his coat tails to the ring? That is a phenomenal entrance. That is phenomenal.”

AJ Styles responded to these comments with a tweet of his own, saying that someone needed to “get this kid a clue.”

Grayson Waller then issued another challenge to the former Raw Tag Team Champion.

“Did I hear that right? @AJStylesOrg wants to come to my house at @WWENXT? Just make sure you wipe your feet on the way in #WWERaw”

WWE fueled speculation about his appearance in a tweet asking if NXT 2.0 is about to become Phenomenal.

AJ Styles making his way to NXT 2.0 is especially surprising as the Phenomenal One is one of the few WWE Superstars who debuted directly on the main roster, bypassing NXT altogether. If this becomes a full-fledged feud, it will be his first on WWE’s third brand.

The move comes at a time when NXT viewership has continued to decline despite no longer running head to head with AEW Dynamite. The show was recently rebranded from its black and gold identity to the brightly colored NXT 2.0, and while the first episode saw some viewership increase, that hasn’t been maintained.

It’s been an eventful night for AJ Styles as Monday Night Raw also saw him split from his tag team partner Omos when Omos attacked him after a match. He will face Omos on next week’s episode of Raw, and it remains to be seen whether he continues to appear on both programs concurrently or if his appearance with Waller will be a one-off.

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