Why is TNA Ruining AJ Styles' Career?

[MisterRob]

No, TNA is not ruining AJ Styles. They've given him his career, if anything. That being said, TNA is certainly not doing anything to elevate AJ Styles from the point he's at right now. AJ Styles has, really, only two options. He can remain with TNA and be satisfied with the career he's had, because its not going to become anything greater then it is right now. He's not going to become a bigger star, he's not going to make any great impact on the wrestling world to be remembered by, and he's not going to be a legend of wrestling that's remembered AT ALL.

Or, AJ Styles can decide to go to the WWE. That's his ONLY chance of becoming a bigger star. That would be his only option of reaching a greater audience, making greater money, and becoming a lasting wrestling star. There's absolutely no reason why he couldn't make it in the WWE. He's much like Daniel Bryan, with even a more exciting style. Look at the MIZ. If the Miz can reach the levels he has, then there's absolutely no reason AJ Styles couldn't.

If anyone is ever behind "ruining" AJ Styles career it'll be himself, by his own decisions.

And people need to stop talking about DRAWS in TNA. No one is a great draw in TNA.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Yes, because that Pay-Per-View was designed to be a nostalgic kick to help revitalize the X Division which he is again no longer wrestling in. He may have been one of the pioneering wrestlers during that time, but so too were a handful of others, many of whom aren't even with the company any more, so what makes AJ so special there? Worse yet, how exactly is the ability to work a card featuring a number of returning faces and match-ups a kin to being a draw? Being a draw means you can consistently sell merch and put asses in seats.

He wasn't a member of the X-Division prior to Destination X and he hasn't been a member since. Despite that, he was still picked as the figurehead of the event. Sorry, but that indicates to me that they regarded him as a necessity to make the event viable.

We don't get info on TNA's finances or buy rates but history and ratings tell us that AJ has never had a 'New Generation' effect on TNA's tenure. Otherwise he would have went the way of Petey Williams, Chris Daniels or Jay Lethal and been released, not given further runs at the top of the card. The simple fact he has not been relocated into the new look X-Division should be taken as an indication of his value. Plus, who was chosen to make Bully Ray look like a genuine headliner?

As I stated in an earlier post, I regard AJ as the TNA HBK. Maybe he won't ever be regarded as the top draw but you know that you will always get something special from him, wherever he is on the card.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

He wasn't a member of the X-Division prior to Destination X and he hasn't been a member since. Despite that, he was still picked as the figurehead of the event. Sorry, but that indicates to me that they regarded him as a necessity to make the event viable.

We don't get info on TNA's finances or buy rates but history and ratings tell us that AJ has never had a 'New Generation' effect on TNA's tenure. Otherwise he would have went the way of Petey Williams, Chris Daniels or Jay Lethal and been released, not given further runs at the top of the card. The simple fact he has not been relocated into the new look X-Division should be taken as an indication of his value. Plus, who was chosen to make Bully Ray look like a genuine headliner?

As I stated in an earlier post, I regard AJ as the TNA HBK. Maybe he won't ever be regarded as the top draw but you know that you will always get something special from him, wherever he is on the card.

Yes, the event, as in singular and solitary. It was a one-off concept to kickstart the X Division rebirth. Of course they were going to use as many old XD stars as they could get their hands on, including those they already had employed.

This has little to no effect, however, on AJ's ability to draw outside of in a niche PPV event.

I would agree with him being the HBK of TNA only in the sense that he can be counted on to always work a great match or program, not because of his ability to remain relevant outside of the main event, because while HBK may not have always needed a championship, he was a major draw regardless. People paid money to see him.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I said he's the best in the ring in the US right now. As for Crimson, I see him as John Cena, pushed and pushed and pushed until the fans just turn against him.

See I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you again.

Joe is talented but thanks to the booking he now receives, he's an after thought, and no longer thought of as a main eventer what so ever, where 5 years ago he was thought to be one of the top guys in the US. Why? Because of booking. If Cena was booked the same way as Chris Masters was, there would be no Cenation. And I said that Austin got himself over, just like AJ does, but Vince was smart enough to take that on board and book him as Super-Austin in 98 and beyond.

Styles can chain wrestle, fly high and sell well. He probably has the best looking punch in all of wrestling right now also, which means he is adapting his in ring style to his age and wrestling amore mat based style to prolong his career.

A Styles match is always entertaining and he makes himself and his opponent look like a million dollars. As for a draw, he has never really had a chance. I mean when he was Champ, the ratings were 1.2. On the heavily promoted Hogan debut episode impact went to 1.4. TNA hired Hogan, Bischoff, Hall, Waltman, Hardy, RVD, Flair, Anderson and others got Sting back and with all those new guys and the money TNA would have invested in them, the ratings went back to a 1.0... RVD becomes champ, and TNA goes to Monday nights and TNA goes to a 0.8... and they've spent the last 2 years and guess what it's back to the ratings TNA was getting when AJ was champ...

Does that mean TNA is a mess or AJ is a draw?? Does it mean the TNA faithful fans prefer AJ.. I think it does, and that who management and creative should be catering to, as it loos after the niche of wrestling fan.. that brings in the as you put it... "type of fan I am.."

The bolded part is such a stupid statement. Who thinks he's the best in the ring? A few smarks? No legit wrestler with credibility thinks he's the best in the ring. Your goal is to get a reaction. Harley Race, RVD, Flair, Samoa Joe, CM Punk all say that Cena is good in the ring.

"Good in the ring" is subjective. "A pro wrestler's job is to get a reaction and draw" is a fact "AJ Styles don't get that great of a reaction and isn't a draw" is also a fact. Thus, AJ Styles isn't as good of a pro wrestler as John Cena.

You have the mentality that a push gets guys over. If that were the case, it'd be super easy to book. Just push a bunch of guys you want to draw and BAM, they draw. The reality is, it's the opposite. You see which guys draw, and push them. Cena wasn't shoved down anyone's throat. Cena draws and gets huge reactions and he gets pushed. The fans didn't really turn against him, watch most people booing him, they're smiling. It's fun to boo Cena. If you don't get that he wants the boos from that segment, then you don't understand pro wrestling. Every single intelligent poster (by that I mean people who write facts and observations, not opinions) have backed me up on this.

Here's your opinion of why Styles is the best in the ring "Styles can chain wrestle, fly high and sell well. He probably has the best looking punch in all of wrestling right now also, which means he is adapting his in ring style to his age and wrestling amore mat based style to prolong his career." None of that means shit. He chain wrestles? Big fuckin whoop, any student of a legit academy can chain wrestle within 3 months. Fly high? That's never gotten anyone over alone. Sell well? Yea, for about 30 seconds, then he's back to moving really fast.

Styles doesn't sell long term, his matches are more "cool sequence" based than storytelling based. Those 2 things are why he's not a draw and why he's not as good in the ring as you think. You have an extremely simple minded view of what makes a good wrestler. It's not what you do, but how you do it. It's about selling closest to the larger part of the crowd to get a bigger reaction, selling everything even when you're on offense (Styles rarely does this), selling everything all the way through the match (Styles rarely does this), moving in a way that fits your body type and gets over your style, moving in a way that fits your character, using mannerisms in everything you do. THOSE things are what makes a great pro wrestler. Not "he does basic chain wrestling and flips". I've never once heard a respected pro wrestle say "he's good, he does cool looking moves and a variety of moves". It's usually about their crowd psychology and storytelling ability.

If a good pro wrestler was someone with a variety of moves that they hit cleanly and quickly, then at wrestling academies they wouldn't even both showing you how to tell a story or use ring psychology, it'd just be "today we're going to learn this move" everyday. It's not though, at least not at legit academies. If a good pro wrestler was someone with a variety of moves that they hit cleanly and quickly, then Alex Shelley would be the most over wrestler on the planet.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Yes, the event, as in singular and solitary. It was a one-off concept to kickstart the X Division rebirth. Of course they were going to use as many old XD stars as they could get their hands on, including those they already had employed.

This has little to no effect, however, on AJ's ability to draw outside of in a niche PPV event.

I would agree with him being the HBK of TNA only in the sense that he can be counted on to always work a great match or program, not because of his ability to remain relevant outside of the main event, because while HBK may not have always needed a championship, he was a major draw regardless. People paid money to see him.

What about the other 19 PPVs where he has headlined (and I'm only including those when he goes on last, there are other 'joint' main events that I have not included)? Given that AJ is treated as the go-to guy until the next big defector appears, that indicates that the guy does draw but that he doesn't spike events to the extent he is pushed Cena style. However, here is a simple fact about today's wrestling landscape - only John Cena is regarded as a draw in the current active fraternity and this is why so many legends reappeared at WM. Sting was regarded as WCW's main guy until Hogan appeared, then he only sporadically reached the top of the card and was often demoted due to the next defector or new pushes. To the majority of fans, he was still Mr WCW though - AJ now holds the same position in TNA.

 

[GrandSword]

The bolded part is such a stupid statement. Who thinks he's the best in the ring? A few smarks? No legit wrestler with credibility thinks he's the best in the ring

AJ Styles was the #1 wrestler in the PWI 500 for 2009/10. You're the one who's making stupid statments now...

 

[ocekit]

No one remains in the main event forever. They go up and down on the roster all the time. Guys drop down into the upper midcard and have feuds to (hopefully) help elevate the midcard guys a bit.
Styles not being champion or in the main event doesn't mean he'll never make it back to the main event. It just means that at the moment TNA feels he's more useful in the midcard.

 

[Dizzy]

AJ Styles was the #1 wrestler in the PWI 500 for 2009/10. You're the one who's making stupid statments now...

I agree he deserves to be on the list but because he made the list does not mean he is worthy of being pushed despite being not drawing. If he actually had a personality or had 2% of what John Cena has on the mic and persona then people would be interested in him.

He just is a guy that is a huge star in TNA but is generic as hell. Like I said, he will be a TNA HOF but he will never be a legit name like Cena, Orton because they draw.

Beer Money is the only complete set of men that actually can wrestle, persona, mic skills and draws of the TNA Originals. Which is why Bobby Roode will most likely win the BFG series and win the title. He has more of a complete package than AJ which is sad because AJ is a outstanding wrestler and could produce massive amounts of MOTY much like HBK.

 

[killer425]

yeah AJ Styles just doesn't scream main eventer to me he reminds me a lot of John Morrison in the WWE

and I agree AJ Styles has already hit the top of his carrer