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As if an appearance by “free agent” CM Punk and a tag match featuring the recently “signed” Randy Orton wasn’t enough, WWE’s announced that Raw’s Cody Rhodes will also be appearing on the Tribute to the Troops edition of SmackDown tonight (Dec. 8).
We’ll see what Rhodes wants to talk about… we know you don’t care what we think Cody, so you can stop asking. But if he did care and asked us right now, we might answer, “what’s up with AJ Styles?”
The Phenomenal One has been off television since being written out by a Bloodline attack back in September. Earlier this week Wrestling Observer reported that plans called for Styles to return on SmackDown this week. Anticipation built for the former WWE champ when fans spotted him on advertisements for Tribute to the Troops.
But now PWInsider, which has seen WWE’s plans change after reporting on AJ in the past, says he won’t be on tonight’s episode either:
AJ Styles is not slated for this week’s Friday Night Smackdown taping.
Insider goes on to say that Styles’ return is a “creative decision” and that it “could be any week now”… just not this week.
AJ figures to be looking for payback from The Bloodline when he does appear. And there was a line of people gunning for Roman Reigns and company on the blue show even before Rhodes started showing up <a href="https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2023/11/18/23966796/cody-rhodes-appearance-wwe-smackdown