A.J. Styles doesn’t want to hear about the World Heavyweight championship being a secondary world title.
He gets the perception that with Roman Reigns being a world champion for nearly 1,000 days, and currently holding two belts as the Undisputed WWE Universal champion, that the title Triple H brought back in April for “Monday Night Raw” could be seen as second tier.
As he gets set to face Seth Rollins in the final of the tournament to crown a new title-holder at Night of Champions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday (1 p.m., Peacock), he said it’s up to either of them to elevate the World Heavyweight championship by “consistently being on television” with it and then deal with the Tribal Chief should he come looking for third world title.
“Is it a secondary?” Styles said in a Zoom interview. “Well if the Raw championship is held by Roman, the SmackDown championship is held by Roman, then how can you argue that it’s not? We had to make a new championship because Roman holds them all.
“What happens if he decides to wrestle for the World Heavyweight championship? It is what it is and we got what we got. If we make the best of it, and if and when Roman does challenge [for it], we beat the brakes off of him, whomever it might be, then we’ll see what title’s secondary.”
In many ways, the person who holds the World Heavyweight championship will be asked to be a lot of things Reigns isn’t right now as the new contract he signed with WWE in 2022 has allowed him to work a reduced schedule, wrestle at fewer pay-per-views and rarely wrestle on live TV.
He’s become more of a special attraction champion like Brock Lesnar used to be — just not for this extended length of time.
In Styles’ mind, the World Heavyweight champion will be the “workhorse” and always visible champ.
“This guy’s gonna be on the pay-per-views, he’s gonna be on the live events, he’s gonna do all these things that need to be done,” Styles said. “When I was [WWE] champion I was on all the live events, I was on all the pay-per-views, all the TV’s. That’s what you do.
“The price for being the World Heavyweight champion is, yes, you get the recognition of being the champion, but you also have to do the job of being the world champion. You got to be there and you got to do the job.”
The 45-year-old Styles, who recently returned after missing four-plus months with a broken ankle, said he holds nothing against Reigns and calls his schedule the “benefits of being a superstar,” adding that everyone hopes to get to that point in their career and won’t speak badly of the Tribal Chief for getting to that upper level.
“This is what you want to do, this is what you want to be,” Styles said. “This is what you’re trying to get to in your career. I’m not mad at him. I told him, ‘if I could do it I would, but I’m not Roman Reigns.’ ”
Should Styles lose to Rollins at Night of Champions, all is not lost as he and his O.C. (Original Club) faction of Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Mia Yim were drafted to SmackDown, the same show Reigns and The Bloodline are on.
Styles and Reigns’ only match together since the latter began his dominant run was non-televised at a live event in September 2022.
You have to go back to Payback and Extreme Rules in 2016 for the last time Styles and Reigns clashed on a pay-per-view.
Running it back feels overdue.
“It’s definitely gotten to a point where he and I have to get back in the ring,” Styles said. “It’s a long way from 2016. Things have changed. It would be nice to see that match come back around.”
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The same can be said of him and Rollins.
Rollins and Styles have had very little interaction in singles matches on TV, just five total with Rollins 4-1 and owning the only two clean wins.
That includes their only other interaction on a pay-per-view at Money in the Bank in 2019 for the Universal championship.
Styles said it was a little weird for things to play out that way.
“In the first part [of my tenure] we didn’t even touch and if we did it was very minimal,” Styles said. “I never thought about that before but I don’t know why, but we are getting to do it in Jeddah and it’s gonna be fun.”
He’s looking forward to the match with Rollins because it’s always great to get in the ring with someone as “hungry as you are” and they are both able to “pull out all the moves sets” when working together.
He does, however, wish he had more matches under his belt – just four since returning – before facing Rollins.
Styles has been impressed watching him evolve as a performer.
“The first time I met him he was just a kid,” Styles said. “He is a veteran [now]. He can get in there, he can lead the match, call the match. This guy is exactly who you want in a professional wrestler. He’s the guy you look up to inside and out. He’s a leader.”
After Rollins, one person who would like another shot at Styles is recent NXT call-up Grayson Waller.
The two worked a short program together on WWE’s developmental show earlier this year and interacted on The Grayson Waller Effect talk show on SmackDown on Friday.
Styles has been impressed with the 33-year-old Aussie, comparing the heat Waller gets from the audience to that of The Miz and noting that Waller has the drive and work ethic he likes to see in a young performer.
He looks forward to another potential meeting on SmackDown and sees great potential in Waller on the main roster.
“I think he’s gonna do really well,” Styles said. “I think he’s gonna take his place, wherever it might be on the roster, and it’s gonna go up. There’s no question about it. He’s got it. Whatever it is, he has it.”
Before that, Styles would like to see his place on the roster rise again and that would mean defeating Rollins in Saudi Arabia to become World Heavyweight champion and become the workhorse for WWE again.
“I’ve always kind of been that guy,” Styles said. “I enjoy being that guy. I’ve ways wanted to be the guy that we needed. Whether it be Seth or myself, I think we are good representatives of what this championship is all about.”
