Theres been a lot of noise about AJ Styles cutting a promo during the commercial break on the September 8 episode of WWE RAW. Some reports claimed it was an off-script moment kept quiet from WWEs own digital team. But that story just got shut downhard.
According to WrestleVotes Radio, the segment wasnt a shoot. It was planned out ahead of time as part of a new creative strategy meant to test organic fan interest. The report also claimed that WWEs social media team wasnt given a heads-up, painting the moment as some secret, under-the-radar experiment.
That might sound slick on paperbut Ringside News is calling it what it is: false. If the promo was really some off-the-grid trial balloon, it wouldnt have landed on WWEs YouTube channel minutes after the incident ended. That clip didnt just show upit was uploaded fast, professionally edited, and promoted across official channels. WWEs digital crew clearly knew exactly what was happening. No smoke, no mirrors.
On top of that, fans were already pissed off after getting hit with ads during their ad-free tier of RAWon the exact same night. So while viewers thought something weird was going on behind the scenes, it turns out they were just dealing with a sloppy rollout, not a secretive storyline.
And despite the noise, WWE might actually be planting seeds for something bigger involving AJ Styles. The promo felt like the start of something, not a throwaway spotand if the reaction is any clue, theyre going to ride this momentum.
Theres no mystery herejust a well-timed segment turned into online fan fiction. WWE knew what it was doing, and so did everyone backstage.
Do you think WWEs playing with fan perception on purpose? Or is the internet making something out of nothing again? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know where you stand on AJ Styles promo.
What did you think of AJ Styles promo and WWEs new creative strategy? Do you like when promos feel spontaneous, or do you prefer traditional segments? Share your thoughts and feedback below!
What do you think WWEs playing with fan perception on purpose? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
