Injured Star At Smackdown For WWE Draft (Spoiler)

There’s a big name in town for the first part of the WWE Draft that is set to take place on the April 28th edition of Smackdown.

AJ Styles has been out of action since December with an ankle injury, but the former two-time WWE Champion is ready to come back.

It has been confirmed by PWInsider Elite’s Mike Johnson that AJ Styles is in Corpus Christi, Texas for tonight’s edition of Friday Night Smackdown, which is the start of the WWE Draft.

This follows up on a previous report from PWInsider last week noting that Styles was close to coming back and it appears that he is cleared to return or close to it.

Styles hurt his ankle last December at a live event in Hershey, Pennsylvania. For much of his 20+ career in pro wrestling, Styles has been able to avoid injuries, but this ankle injury was pretty bad and has sidelined him for over four months.

On a list released by WWE.com on Thursday, AJ Styles is listed as a wrestler eligible to be drafted on tonight’s Smackdown. Styles as part of The O.C. (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson & Michin) group.

Since Styles has been injured, Anderson & Gallows have been used sparingly to start 2023 while Michin does wrestle occasionally on television.

The “Phenomenal” AJ Styles joined World Wrestling Entertainment in January 2016 during the Royal Rumble when he was a surprise participant. He won his first WWE Championship later that year and won the title for a second time in 2017. Styles has also won the Intercontinental Title, the US Title and Raw Tag Team Titles (with Omos) in his career.

Prior to signing with WWE, Styles spent 12 years with TNA/Impact Wrestling from 2002 to 2014 and is considered one of their greatest wrestlers ever. In addition to being an Impact World Champion, Styles is also a former IWGP World Champion as well.