AJ Styles was shockingly traded to WWE SmackDown last Friday for "superstars to be named later." Styles was the third overall pick in the 2019 WWE Draft and the second selection from Raw. Styles famously made his name in WWE as part of SmackDown as the "champ that runs the camp," often referring to SmackDown as the "house that AJ Styles built."
Appearing on WWE After The Bell, Styles discussed the blockbuster trade with Corey Graves.
"It's moving to FOX and I think they're doing a good job, so I'm excited about that. Doing something different is good for me. I needed a change. Losing Gallows & Anderson really hurt me. Getting away from Raw helps me get over it -- I don't know if I'll get over it, but it helps change the atmosphere around me and to do something different. My whole time on Raw was basically with them. To get away from that and get to SmackDown, where I've had a lot of success, it's a good thing," he said.
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson were released by WWE as part of the company-wide cutbacks on April 15. The former Raw Tag Team Champions had just appeared alongside Styles in the Boneyard match at WrestleMania 36 and signed new contracts in July 2019.
"I brought their names to WWE and when they got released, I immediately felt responsible for them because I helped them get here and I wanted them to stay. I thought, if I hadn't encouraged them to stay maybe they wouldn't be behind right now. A lot of it fell on me and I felt like I let them down. I talked to them about this and I was just crushed. I'm the oldest and I didn't take care of them. That really bothered me. And it still does," said Styles.
Gallows & Anderson remain free agents following their release. Their non-compete clauses are expected to expire in July.
Styles made a successful SmackDown re-debut last Friday, defeating Shinsuke Nakamura in the WWE Intercontinental Title tournament.
If you use any of the quotes above, please give a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
