Logan Paul Defeats AJ Styles

Logan Paul defeated AJ Styles at WWE WrestleMania 41 amid rampant speculation about Styles’ future with the company.

Inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Paul shockingly outlasted “The Phenomenal One” outlasted Styles when he blasted the social media megastar with a massive right hook and his finisher the Paulverizer. The decisive victory on pro wrestling’s biggest stage was an important won for Paul, who had lose five of his last six matches in WWE.

It was also a match that Styles almost didn’t get to have.

A major Lisfranc injury suffered last year, one Styles himself described as “challenging,” raised quite a few questions about how much longer he has left in WWE. The same is true of Styles’ contract status. It was reportedly earlier this year that Styles’ contract was supposed to expire at some point in early 2025, but his deal was likely extended as a result of time missed due to injury.

Of course, there has also been rampant speculation that Styles could be the latest marquee WWE star to jump ship to AEW. That’s a move that seems feasible given Styles’ in-ring style and his previous link to AEW, which courted him heavily prior to the debut of AEW Dynamite in 2019.

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Styles, however, ultimately chose to stick with WWE and has been a key part of the company. Because he’s certainly not pushed to the level he once was as a former two-time WWE Champion, Styles’ WrestleMania 41 loss to Paul will lead to more questions about whether or not Styles is sticking around.

In fact, the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer (h/t Wrestling Inc) recently reported that when AEW expressed interest in Styles, he “showed no real interest in it” and “told people that he wasn’t gonna leave WWE.” That could easily change given AEW’s penchant for giving lucrative deals to ex-WWE stars, but as Styles nears the end of his career, a limited role in WWE is the best fit.

Styles just lost to Paul at WrestleMania, which is what he should be doing at this stage of his career in WWE. As much criticism as Paul gets, he remains one of WWE’s biggest heat magnets and an unbelievably good in-ring performer, especially for someone with such limited experience.

Paul’s incredible abilities as a heel were on full display at WrestleMania 41, where he and Styles delivered a show-stopping performance that’s come to be expected of both stars. Much like Styles, Paul has become a reliable and consistent performer, although he may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

WWE, however, has really made significant efforts to branch out more into pop culture by utilizing stars like Paul, rapper Travis Scott and social media star iShowSpeed. That has certainly worked out well for WWE, with crossover segments often going viral outside of the pro wrestling space.

But just as there has been uncertainty about Styles’ future in WWE, the same is true of Paul, just with different circumstances.

Paul signed a “multi-year deal” with WWE in 2023, and it’s unclear how long the deal lasts. Even though Paul’s initial ability quickly impressed fans, his lack of real character development as well as the belief that he “takes a spot” from more deserving WWE stars has resulted in some fan pushback.

Whether that’s good heat or bad heat remains up for debate, and so, WWE faces the challenge of finding new rivalries and character development for Paul before he gets too stale. Paul, after all, has to do more than just show up every few months to lose. Similarly, Styles needs a more focused direction moving forward as well.

That’s why Styles vs. Paul at WrestleMania 41 was such an interesting clash of two stars at a career crossroads.

For now, Paul is finally headed in the right direction after picking up a rare clean win. But Styles? His loss will raise some eyebrows and some questions.