The Hiphopapotamus
The Dude abides
AJ Styles has been in TNA since it's inception, and through it he has wrestled as both a face and a heel. After this recent IMpact and his promo with Sting, coupled with Sting's retirement at Bound For Glory, many people assume he will be the one who will retire Sting. But many people are wondering, what will AJ's allignment be: Will he be a face or a will he turn and become a heel. It got me thinking, what has AJ been better as, a face or a heel. So I decided to check it out through TNA's history.
At the moment, AJ is definitely the most over face in the company, and I challenge anyone to argue that. He is the most successful of all the TNA originals, and the crowd absolutely love him. The pop he received after winning the legend's title a few months ago, at Sacrifice I think but it could have been earlier, was insanely huge. The most recent Impact contained a speech from AJ Declaring he would be retiring, and the Impact Zone echoed of "Please don't go".
AJ's your generic babyface. He really gets over just because of his incredible in ring ability. If it weren't for that, he would be nowhere with his current character. He stands up to the heels, mainly just the Main event mafia, and gets his ass beaten down every second week. And the crowd love him for it. It's the same every week. Now, I'm not complaining, I love AJ. But the thing is, he needs to improve his character as a face, just slightly, maybe tweak it a little. He's the lovable guy the crowd wants to see win every time, but just because he gets his ass kicked a lot after matches.
AJ Styles reminds me of a luchador, not because he can fly around the place and is also good technically, but because of how his styles of wrestling depend and change around his allignment. In Mexico, Tecnicos, or faces, are the high flyers, while Rudos, or heels, are brawlers and ground based. The same can be said for AJ. When he's a face, like now, he uses a lot of high aerial moves. But when he was a heel in late 2006, early 2007, during his feud with Rhyno, his offence was a lot more settled down, with less flying and more fighting.
During this period as a heel, as part of Christian's coallition he played a great cowardly heel. he gaave up against Rhyno in a last man standing match. He cheated against Rhyno at Against all odds in a motor city chain match, he then fought Rhyno in the disaster that was Elevation X. He lost, but I will always remember that match for AJ hiding in between the bars. He was great as a coward. he feigned an injury, attacked Rhyno with a crutch and joined team Christian for Lethal Lockdown. He once wrestled Scott Steiner ina collegiate
Throughout 2007, he wrestled as a heel as part of Christian's coallition, and was great comedically. Near the back end of 2007, he and Tomko won the tag team titles at Bound for Glory from team Pacman. Afterwards, he wrestled Scott Steiner ina collegiate wrestling match, just as comedy relief, saying he was from Gainesville Vocational. They later Retained against the Steiners at Genesis. At Genesis, they the joined Angle alliance thanks to Karen Angle, helping Angle to beat Christian. AJ then betrayed Christian after weeks of indecision, after a comedy skit set in his apartment and being named the "Prince of Phenomenal". From this time on thoug, AJ was starting to become the lovable guy we know today. He married Karen Angle by accident and went on a honeymoon. When Karen asked for Seperation, he was entered into a feud with Angle,thus becoming a face again.
But they weren't AJ's only stints as a face and a heel. He wrestled as a face in his tag team with Daniels, and was the only true face in the three way feud with Joe and Daniels, who were a tweener and a heel respectively. In TNA's early years, he played a great role as a heel, as a sort of a chav (white trash). He wore an earing and chain, and was managed by Mortimer Plumtree, who I must admit, I know little about. But AJ played the stupid redkneck very well, which he incorperated into his cowardly heel character, making it funnier.
ALL in all, AJ Styles has wrestled well as a babyface and a heel. If I wanted an enjoyable character, I'd like him heel. If I wanted his wrestling ability, I'd get him as a face. Simple as that.
And as for facing Sting at Bound for Glory, I honestly think retiring Sting like Flair, as in face vs face, would be the best thing for both of their careers. Sting goes to an ally rather than enemy, and AJ gets a huge rub from the legacy of a legend. And the emotion would be insane.
At the moment, AJ is definitely the most over face in the company, and I challenge anyone to argue that. He is the most successful of all the TNA originals, and the crowd absolutely love him. The pop he received after winning the legend's title a few months ago, at Sacrifice I think but it could have been earlier, was insanely huge. The most recent Impact contained a speech from AJ Declaring he would be retiring, and the Impact Zone echoed of "Please don't go".
AJ's your generic babyface. He really gets over just because of his incredible in ring ability. If it weren't for that, he would be nowhere with his current character. He stands up to the heels, mainly just the Main event mafia, and gets his ass beaten down every second week. And the crowd love him for it. It's the same every week. Now, I'm not complaining, I love AJ. But the thing is, he needs to improve his character as a face, just slightly, maybe tweak it a little. He's the lovable guy the crowd wants to see win every time, but just because he gets his ass kicked a lot after matches.
AJ Styles reminds me of a luchador, not because he can fly around the place and is also good technically, but because of how his styles of wrestling depend and change around his allignment. In Mexico, Tecnicos, or faces, are the high flyers, while Rudos, or heels, are brawlers and ground based. The same can be said for AJ. When he's a face, like now, he uses a lot of high aerial moves. But when he was a heel in late 2006, early 2007, during his feud with Rhyno, his offence was a lot more settled down, with less flying and more fighting.
During this period as a heel, as part of Christian's coallition he played a great cowardly heel. he gaave up against Rhyno in a last man standing match. He cheated against Rhyno at Against all odds in a motor city chain match, he then fought Rhyno in the disaster that was Elevation X. He lost, but I will always remember that match for AJ hiding in between the bars. He was great as a coward. he feigned an injury, attacked Rhyno with a crutch and joined team Christian for Lethal Lockdown. He once wrestled Scott Steiner ina collegiate
Throughout 2007, he wrestled as a heel as part of Christian's coallition, and was great comedically. Near the back end of 2007, he and Tomko won the tag team titles at Bound for Glory from team Pacman. Afterwards, he wrestled Scott Steiner ina collegiate wrestling match, just as comedy relief, saying he was from Gainesville Vocational. They later Retained against the Steiners at Genesis. At Genesis, they the joined Angle alliance thanks to Karen Angle, helping Angle to beat Christian. AJ then betrayed Christian after weeks of indecision, after a comedy skit set in his apartment and being named the "Prince of Phenomenal". From this time on thoug, AJ was starting to become the lovable guy we know today. He married Karen Angle by accident and went on a honeymoon. When Karen asked for Seperation, he was entered into a feud with Angle,thus becoming a face again.
But they weren't AJ's only stints as a face and a heel. He wrestled as a face in his tag team with Daniels, and was the only true face in the three way feud with Joe and Daniels, who were a tweener and a heel respectively. In TNA's early years, he played a great role as a heel, as a sort of a chav (white trash). He wore an earing and chain, and was managed by Mortimer Plumtree, who I must admit, I know little about. But AJ played the stupid redkneck very well, which he incorperated into his cowardly heel character, making it funnier.
ALL in all, AJ Styles has wrestled well as a babyface and a heel. If I wanted an enjoyable character, I'd like him heel. If I wanted his wrestling ability, I'd get him as a face. Simple as that.
And as for facing Sting at Bound for Glory, I honestly think retiring Sting like Flair, as in face vs face, would be the best thing for both of their careers. Sting goes to an ally rather than enemy, and AJ gets a huge rub from the legacy of a legend. And the emotion would be insane.
