AJ Styles Pulled from WWE Live Events, Backstage WWE 205 Live Note, The Rock

By DailyWrestlingNews.com on December 15, 2016

– It looks like James Ellsworth won’t be getting his WWE Title shot this year. WWE has pulled WWE Champion AJ Styles from all live events this month. His next scheduled live event is December 26th from Madison Square Garden, a Triple Threat with Dean Ambrose and John Cena, who also returns to the company from filming FOX’s American Grit that night.

AJ is expected to appear at SmackDown tapings until then but not wrestle. As noted earlier, Styles vs. new #1 contender Dolph Ziggler has been announced for the final SmackDown of 2016, from Chicago on December 27th.

Styles has not wrestled since December 4th at WWE TLC after suffering a minor ankle injury while taking a backdrop to the floor from Ambrose. Styles was set to defend on Tuesday night’s SmackDown against Ellsworth but the match did not happen.

– Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn are directly responsible for the new WWE 205 Live show, not Triple H. According to PWInsider, Vince has been “extremely hands on” with the cruiserweights in getting them to execute his vision.

– Disney’s “Moana” with The Rock has been nominated for two 2017 Golden Globe Awards – Best Animated Picture and Best Original Song. Rock tweeted the following on the nominations:

Feelin' kinda Goldish today.
THANK YOU @goldenglobes for our TWO nominations for #Moana! Congrats to our filmmakers & cast. Proud of you! pic.twitter.com/OyfcS1fp3y

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 14, 2016