Rumor: WWE Having Major Issues Negotiating New Contract With AJ Styles

AJ Styles dropping the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan on SmackDown Live this week was a surprise. Most people expected the title change at Crown Jewel, but Bryan didn’t go to Saudi Arabia and the rumor is that WWE officials just pushed their plans back a bit. However, it turns out there’s more happening with Styles behind the scenes.

According to a report from DirtySheets, the company didn’t want to book Styles to lose against Brock Lesnar for the second straight year. The problem behind the scenes has been the contract negotiations between Styles and WWE have dragged on for months with the two parties being unable to agree on some major details of a new contract.

Related: Why Did AJ Styles Lose The WWE Championship?

The Phenomenal One is looking for a three-year deal with a reduced number of dates on the road to spend more time with his family. WWE officials want to lock him down for 5 years. The odds are high this next deal will be AJ’s last full-time contract with the company. Therefore, he might be looking at another two full years as too much time.

As of this writing, AJ Styles’ current deal is expected to expire in December. Because of that, WWE officials felt it was time to take the title off of him and turn Daniel Bryan. A lot of people are unhappy the title change will keep Styles off the Survivor Series card, but Bryan vs. Lesnar is such an intriguing match and has been anticipated for years.

Daniel Bryan wins WWE Championship in shocking fashion: SmackDown LIVE, Nov. 13, 2018

There doesn’t seem to be any bad blood between the two sides, but they’ve yet to agree on terms. The expectation is a deal will be worked out before his contract expires. This will not be the last update on The Phenomenal One’s contract status with the company.

Do you think AJ Styles should leave WWE or stay?