Trouble Deepens For WWE’s AJ Styles After He Addressed In-Ring Move Stealing Accusations

AJ Styles attempted to settle the controversy surrounding move-stealing accusations by responding directly to fans online, but his efforts to put the matter to rest may have only made things worse. Xavier Woods of The New Day has now escalated the situation by posting serious allegations against The Phenomenal One, making this conflict extend far beyond the usual internet debate about wrestling moves.

Xavier Woods Raises New Stakes With Illegal Tactics Allegations on AJ Styles

During the December 1 episode of WWE RAW, World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee faced off against The New Day in a title defense match. Styles and Lee successfully retained their championship after hitting a combination move that led to a Styles Clash finish. However, what transpired during that match has now become the center of a much larger controversy after Woods publicly called out Styles on social media.

Woods reposted Styles’ tweet from earlier in the week and fired back with specific accusations. In his response, Woods claimed that

You used the steel steps illegally to incapacitate me then attacked @TrueKofi with what the competent internet says is stolen tag team maneuver! And @ScrapDaddyAP says and does nothing about it. WE DESERVE JUSTICE!”

You used the steel steps illegally to incapacitate me then attacked @TrueKofi with what the competent internet says is stolen tag team manuver! And @ScrapDaddyAP says and does nothing about it. WE DESERVE JUSTICE! https://t.co/cwjpExA1v3pic.twitter.com/93f32GhOhr

— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) December 4, 2025

The specific maneuver Woods was referencing came near the finish of the match. Styles hung Kingston on the top rope, and Lee then climbed the turnbuckles and delivered a double stomp to Kingston, which sent him flying back to Styles, who caught him and executed the Styles Clash for the victory. This move combination had drawn comparisons to a similar maneuver used by The Young Bucks in AEW, where one Buck launches an opponent to the other for a powerbomb finish.

That initial comparison led to the move-stealing debate that Styles addressed earlier in the week. When fans began comparing the two moves side by side on social media, Styles took to X to explain his position. He stated that in professional wrestling, wrestlers cannot claim ownership of moves, as they remain open for all wrestlers to use.

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When another user suggested that Styles was simply borrowing the move from his former Bullet Club stablemates rather than stealing it, Styles provided a direct response.

But if we do it again, is that borrowing or stealing? The answer is….neither. The job is entertainment,” Styles replied on December 4.

Now, with Woods making his claims about illegal steel step usage and a stolen maneuver, the situation has transformed into something more serious. Adam Pearce, the WWE RAW General Manager, has not yet made any public statement regarding Woods’ allegations of illegal tactics or his complaints about the tag team maneuver.

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