Styles speaks candidly about the injury he suffered in 2024.
It was back in October 2024 that A.J. Styles made his return to WWE television after being off TV since his feud with Cody Rhodes over the summer. In the bout against Carmelo Hayes in October, Styles suffered a foot injury which was described as a Lisfranc injury.
Styles opened up about it while guest appearing on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. He knew he’d broken his foot, but did not know it was more than just a break.
He was able to avoid surgery and undergo therapy treatment. He was told that if he underwent the surgery, complications could arise as he ages. Styles added that he had to relearn how to walk and run to a certain extent.
Little did I know, it was actually worse than breaking it. I didn’t know at the time but yeah, that was like, ‘Oh crap…’ Oh man, and I’d knew I’d broke it, right? Because if you’ve broken it before — same foot — I was like, ‘I broke it again’ and I’m pissed because now I know how long it’s gonna take to get back. But, again, little did I know, it was much worse than a break.
Because it’s tendons, and my doctor, who is also my friend, was like, ‘Do not look this up.’ I’m like, ‘I’m gonna look this up’ and it’s a career-ending injury, and it happens in car wrecks and in professional football mostly. That’s usually when it happens, and in football, of course, it’s one of those things depending how severe it is. Literally by the skin of my teeth, I was able to — they were (like), ‘We can have surgery. We can do surgery on your foot and it will heal faster. But, there could be complications as you get older. We don’t know. We don’t have to have surgery. Let’s try to do some therapy and get it back to where it is,’ and lucky for me, I was able to get that therapy that I needed. Wasn’t easy. It sucked. It’s so crazy that you have to learn how to walk again to a certain extent. Like, how did I forget how to run? Little things like that because I was in a boot for six weeks. Then I got six weeks in therapy, trying to figure this thing out. It’ll mess with you.
He is getting back into the swing of things but said for now, there might be times when people catch him limping after a match. Styles said that will happen as he gets his foot used to the wear and tear of being in the ring consistently.
I think it’s one of those things where I’m so afraid of losing a step, I’m doing everything I can to make sure it doesn’t look like I’ve lost the step. But… it took a toll on me. Because I go out there and — listen, I got two gears, all or nothing. Is that one gear? I don’t know. But the fact that, yeah, I’m gonna go in there, I’m gonna give it all and then after the adrenaline wears off, I was like, ‘Oof, now it’s sore a little bit.’ So you might catch me limping afterwards until I get used to this foot. Stretching it out, all those tendons and stuff like that but, so far so good.
As the conversation moved along, Styles admitted that he thought the injury would put an end to his in-ring career.
This is it (Styles thought his in-ring career could be over following the 2024 foot injury). I was like, ‘This is it. How am I going to recover again?’ I was like, ‘This might be it,’ and it sucked because like you said, I just came back. I was not hurt… after I wrestled Cody (Rhodes), right? In the ‘I Quit’ match. I was not hurt during that time. So I’m sitting at home going, okay guys, okay, and then, ‘Hey, we’re gonna bring you back in Nashville. It’s gonna be great.’ Hurt myself. I was like, ‘Mother–’ I was shoot-pissed. I was mad. It may have looked like I was acting. I was not… It was one of those you’re so mad… what can you say? Beat on the mat and I was like, ‘Mother–’ I was so mad because this was my moment and I screwed it up… and I’m back now. Mind you, I say I screwed it up. Not anybody else. This isn’t ballet. This is wrestling. People get hurt, mistakes happen and I blame nobody but myself. So, just wanna throw that out there.
Styles is 47 years of age, but does not plan to be wrestling at 50. He went on to add that much like Shawn Michaels’ situation when he returned to in-ring action in 2018, sometimes money talks.
No (I do not want to wrestle into my 50s). No, I don’t. No (I don’t want to have a match at 50). That’s correct (there’s only a few more years left). I keep saying that. I’ve said this and I’ve said this but, I will not wrestle to 50, I promise you that… It’s like Shawn (Michaels). He was done until he wasn’t and sometimes, money talks.
Styles is scheduled to be present at the 3/10 Monday Night Raw at Madison Square Garden. He’ll be calling out Logan Paul.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
