AJ Styles, Character and Storyline

[FunKay the Inevitable]

This was just posted on the main page as a featured article:

It’s no secret that AJ Styles isn’t the biggest guy in the world. It’s no secret that AJ Styles is a southern guy from Georgia. Those facts have always given AJ the stigma of not being a “WWE” guy. That hasn’t stopped AJ from becoming one of the best wrestlers in the world. The WWE should be focusing on that fact but they’re not. That’s a big mistake in my opinion.

AJ had a great debut in the Royal Rumble. He didn’t win the match but he felt like a big deal, he felt important. The next night on Raw AJ Styles spoke to the WWE universe, for 15 seconds. I didn’t like that but I let it go. I let it go because it was Chris Jericho that interrupted him. Even at the age of 46 Chris Jericho has name recognition and credibility to the WWE fan base. Having Chris Jericho refer to AJ as a “kid” and saying “Welcome to the big leagues” doesn’t help AJ get over. It makes him look like a minor leaguer or a “B-teamer.”

Last night on Raw things took a turn for the worse. The Miz is good at his job. He knows how to piss a crowd off; he knows how to get heat. I get the logic of putting AJ Styles in a Miz TV segment. I get the logic but the segment didn’t work. The Miz should not be running down AJ Styles. AJ Styles is a star around the world and Miz IS NOT. I don’t want to hear the Miz make fun of AJ Styles. What purpose does it serve to have The Miz call AJ small and make fun of his AJ Styles southern draw? Sixty five percent of your Monday night Raw audience doesn’t have the WWE Network they may not know who AJ Styles is. The first impression you’re giving of AJ Styles is that of a “Rookie Redneck.”

The part I've bolded strikes me as just bewildering. The reason Styles was cut off is simple - he had Jericho, a far better promo man than Styles himself, put over AJ's previous accolades, and in turn demean him by calling AJ a 'kid'. Styles got revenge on this self-indulgent act by rolling Jericho up and pinning him to the mat 1...2...3.

As for the segment with Miz, it was terrific. Again, they disguised Styles weaknesses and played to his strengths. Miz is a much better talker than AJ and again listed what he'd accomplished outside of the WWE, establishing him as a great wrestler, before running him down for being southern etc... (its drawl not draw by the way). Then, in turn, AJ whooped his ass and gained a measure revenge, getting the full hog on SmackDown when he made Miz tap to his newly debuted submission hold (not to mention actually knocking some of Miz's teeth out legitimately.

Now, I've just listened to the Talk is Jericho podcast with Styles released today and its one of Jericho's better works. There are very few shills for plug sockets or DDP Yoga in the interview and they keep the talk on the subject matter, with little noticeable editing. Its a good listen. Honestly recommended, but aside from it being a good interview that shines a light on Styles' arrival in WWE and his years in NJPW, it also features a conversation with regards to what sort of character AJ is in WWE and also explains why they keep using the nickname 'pitbull' to describe him on TV.

Vince McMahon, someone you may be familiar with, told Styles that the character he saw in AJ was that of someone who was always told he wasn't big or strong enough to be in the big leagues, someone who has been kept down, but someone who rather than taking that in good humour actually punches you in your smug face and keeps punching you until you quit. He'll beat you, but only after he's beaten you.

What this writer, and many others no doubt have missed is that Styles is being put over and then run down as a kid or as a minor leaguer or midget, because it gets heat for his matches, matches where he beats established veterans, knocks the teeth out of obnoxious prats and, to date, remains undefeated. Its why his theme song's about being a poor southern boy who people don't want to fight because they know he'll kick their ass.

He's as tenacious and violent as he is athletic and gifted. That's the role he's been handed and so far its working a treat. He's being cheered by new fans, some who had never heard of AJ Styles before the 2016 Royal Rumble. Just watch the Miz TV segment and see how many people cheer him when he comes out, and how many cheer him after Miz scampers away.

So far WWE has done an excellent job in making AJ Styles appear to be a big deal.

 

[ColeMc]

AJ is a wrestling fan's wet dream, it's unfortunate that WWE is very character heavy wrestling as it's not AJ's strongest suit.

But I think he is just that good that he'll make up for that in the ring, and if he listens to Y2J on how to work a crowd, he'll develop that part of his game quick.

I was dreading him getting into a prolonged feud with Miz, but with Y2J stepping back in for another match(Jericho win, decider and blow off at FL?), maybe he can avoid that lodestone.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I don't get what this guy is on. AJ Styles' booking ever since he debuted has beem very good. Actually, in might be the best booked angle on the show right now, since everything else seems like a mess.

He's the world-acclaimed wrestler who came from another promotion and has to prove himself in order to fit in the WWE. That's why he's being challenged by The Miz, a heel and Y2J, the best in the world at what he does. The only thing I fear is that AJ might end up losing to Jericho on Smackdown, only to set up the rubber match at Fast Lane.

Man I really hate this 50-50 booking of the WWE. They need to get power levels. Midcarders are at 50-50, upper mid carders are always beating the mid carders and usually lose their main event feuds to 2-1, and main eventers should be 50-50.
50-50 should then be avoided when you push some, as it halts momentum, for example AJ Styles. So, I hope AJ won't lose to Jericho. At least keep the man on a hot streak until after Wrestlemania.

 

[Uncle Sam]

AJ Styles is so underappreciated as a character it's not even funny. It was sometime in 2008 that Slyfox - yes, the Slyfox, the man with a ten inch penis, throbbing muscles and and opinions that are somehow objectively true - said that AJ Styles was the most charismatic wrestler of the year. That was when AJ was in the Christian Coaliton (later the Angle Alliance). Watching that man thank Pokemon Diamond for teaching him the tactics that lead to him winning the tag team championships while Tomko, the man who'd actually done the hard work, fumed behind him was something else.

But to read some recent comments about AJ, you'd think the man couldn't open his mouth without vomiting down his own chest and running off in tears. Bullshit.

As for The Miz - this is the man who had stadiums erupting for likes of Alex Riley and Damien Mizdow. As was even mentioned in his promo on Monday night, he was the guy that gave Daniel Bryan his early success. Daniel Bryan's WWE career basically goes: The Miz --> midcard wank --> midcard wank --> YES stuff.

Much ado about nothing.

 

[dsotm5150]

AJ's ring work will be what makes him or breaks him. If AJ puts on the matches in WWE that we are accustom to seeing out of him elsewhere, then that will more than make up for what he lacks on the mic. As far as playing the "you're too small you'll never make it" card, its not really a bad thing, makes him look like the underdog, which has always been a pretty safe gimmick to get fans behind someone AJs size. As long as they let him be AJ Styles he'll be fine. He made a huge impact and held his own well in the Rumble, sure he didn't win, but he didn't have to, the idea is to introduce AJ to the average fan, generate interest and the Rumble showed he could hang in a free for all. He went over Chris Jericho, which despite getting up there in age and has lost a step or two over the years I think was a great first opponent for him. He's got name value, he can put on a great match with anyone from a Dean Malenko to a wet paper bag, and the egotistical snide character he plays makes you want to see him get beat. So it played great to this underdog thing they seem to be doing with AJ. Same with the Miz, the whole point of the Miz is to hate him. So I think AJ is off to a decent start, is there still time for wwe to put the brakes on and ruin it? Well yeah its WWE after all.

 

[MERPER]

I have been entertained by Styles. However, the biggest mistake was that he hasn't spoken more than a few words once yet.

The RAW after Rumble he should have gotten 3-5 minutes to explain who he is, what he's accomplished and why he finally came to WWE (i.e. what he is aiming for, who he is targeting, etc.) then Jericho's music could have hit for that match.

I thought they were going to do it on Miz TV but they had Miz keep cutting him off to set up a whopping Smackdown match.

The issue for many fans is they simply don't know who the guy is. I realize many do who follow other circuits besides WWE, but many do not. He should have been given the chance to explain why he's such a big deal by now.

 

[Skinsley]

You must give it time. I am not convinced that WWE are going to screw styles up. A decent intercontinental or U.S. championship run and maybe even a short term WWE title feud would suffice me as long as he is treated well. So far WWE have only been testing the waters with him, they are clearly very intrigued by him and are waiting to see if the hype dies down too quickly before they take the next step with him.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Eh, I figured that it wouldn't be long before someone started with some conspiracy theory or complaints that Styles isn't being "used right" by WWE. In the minds of many of those sorts of fans, I think the only way to pacify them would have been for Styles to debut at the Royal Rumble and win the WWE Championship on his very first night; that wasn't a remotely feasible outcome and anyone who wanted it to be the outcome to such an extent that it was the only proper way to debut him is just setting himself/herself up for disappointment.

AJ Styles has been on the WWE roster for a very brief span, he's generated a lot of buzz, the commentators are constantly putting over the fact he's been a major player around the world, that he's an 18 year veteran, that he lasted roughly 30 minutes in the Royal Rumble, has had a total of 3 singles matches thus far, has won all 3 singles matches and 2 of those matches were against wrestlers who've been significant to major main event players in WWE for 10 and 15 years.

I mean...what was Miz supposed to do? Was he supposed to be out there singing Styles' praises? Was he supposed to be calling him the greatest thing to hit WWE in 20 years or something? No, Miz's job was to be an irritating jackass who spent his time belittling and insulting AJ Styles to such a degree that fans wanted to see him get the taste slapped out of his mouth and he did so beautifully. They're playing to Styles' greatest strengths right now, including his in-ring work, and it's working so far. Jericho & Miz are both extremely comfortable and qualified on the mic and promos have never been Styles' strongest suit; he's never going to be the next Rock, CM Punk or Paul Heyman so, as of right now, they've had him work with a couple of high quality promo guys to carry the load on the mic.

Styles will have another bout with Chris Jericho on the next episode of SmackDown and, to me, it looks like they're inching Jericho towards a heel turn due to being upstaged. For instance, on commentary last night during Styles vs. Miz, Jericho kept putting over that while Styles has been a star around the world, the WWE is the big leagues and that could lead to a story of this upstart, this guy that's unproven in the "big leagues" continuing to get the better of Chris Jericho, someone who will be in the WWE Hall of Fame someday, a 6 time World Champion & 9 time Intercontinental Champion. It just seems like a heel turn is coming, in my opinion, and it could happen suddenly if Styles gets the better of Jericho two times in a row. Jericho made a comment last night that Styles was "good", but asked if he had what it took to be "great", meaning does Styles have the ability to prove he's "great" by being able to beat Chris Jericho, someone that has been established as "great" many times over in WWE, in two consecutive matches.

 

[Navi]

I'm assuming that the writer of the article the main page quoted has never looked at a map. Didn't RAW take place in Alabama last week, the state directly next door to Georgia, where Styles is from.

When Miz was making fun of Styles and being from the South, he was making fun of the entire WWE universe that were in the building at the same time. No wonder he got so much heat, it wasn't just they were pissed that Styles was getting the business, they were as well.

Miz did a great job in putting Styles over, and the crowd loved it. He's only been in the WWE for what three weeks now, so why can't some give the guy a break and let him get established is beyond me. To make some happy, he should have come in at number 30 in the Rumble, won the title and then fucked off back to Georgia and we'll see him next at Mania. Can't please some people for trying.

 

[ShinChan]

I have been loving AJ Styles' stint in WWE. Really liked his run in Royal Rumble and his matches with Chris Jericho and The Miz have impressed me alot. I would be happy if WWE remains high on Styles.

As far as the MizTV segment is concerned, It was surely a good way to garner heel heat and Miz is one of the best mic-talkers of WWE and he really handled that segment well.

Another thing i hope is Jericho losing to Styles again at Smackdown because Styles is really great.

​

 

[laodaron]

It's so weird, because AJ Styles himself said that coming into a new territory and taking the belt, or getting mega pushed hurts the business, and he needs to earn his way to the top just like everyone else does.

Not to mention, while AJ is interesting on shoots and interviews outside of TV, I've never found him overly competent on the microphone. He is maybe the most charismatic American wrestler IN the ring, but on the mic, there's certainly some shortcomings. To pretend like AJ would have gotten a better fan reaction than Miz did is probably dishonest, or at least misguided.

 

[Hem]

I think Styles needs a pre taped sit down interview thats like 5-10 minutes long to air on RAW. He needs say who he is, where he was, why it took him so long to get to the WWE and finally what he's here for after so long in the industry.

All we know now is that AJ is a big indie talent who finally made it to the WWE. He needs depth. In a gimmick heavy company he can carry a light character of being the top dog having to claw his way to the top again. He needs to prove that he is the best wrestler in the world.

He also cannot lose for awhile, at least not till after WM. Till then have him face guys he can tear down the house with in decent length matches. Let him face Neville, Y2J, Risev, KO, etc. He shouldn't just keep going against low names like Axel or Miz. He needs to get solidified in thebupper mid card right away.

 

[WhiplashUnited]

The only problem I had with the Miz TV segment is it took ages for Miz to draw any heat. I've seen this through a lot of the Miz TV segments, no one cares about him or the segment until the interviewee takes exception to him. That's a lot of silence in a business that is mainly based on getting reactions from the crowd.

 

[rge2010]

They hardly let AJ Styles speak......Jericho interupted, Miz interupted etc. Because the guy has the personality of wet bunting. He is shocking at selling a promo.

Great in ring technician though but he desperately needs a manager. Paul Heyman would be a great mouthpiece for him.

 

[Gallops77]

I believe when Daniel Bryan started in WWE, everyone said the same about him. He didn't get many opportunities to speak in the first NXT, was eliminated early, and eventually fired after the NXT invasion. Came back to cheers and his mic work still sucked.

Couple of years in the midcard, and a failed main event push as a heel later, and he became THE top star in the company. Not Cena. Not Lesnar. Not Taker. Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan just had to say "YES" and point his fingers in the air to get a huge pop. In fact, his best promo to date wasn't even a promo. It was his retirement speech. Any other promo or mic work he did aside of that to me was underwhelming.

AJ Styles may be in the same boat. But he right now has that "I'll just kick your ass" approach. They've let him come in as AJ Styles not under some WWE branded name like they did to Daniel Bryan. Styles came in as a major player.

Mic work can be improved with the right people to help. Working with Jericho and Miz early on will help AJ because on the mic they are both helpful at putting others over. AJ is going to get coached by guys in the back. Guys like Cena, Triple H, Vince, etc. I'm sure even Paul Heyman will help him out too.

I think AJ Styles will be a top star in WWE a year or so from now. Maybe not headlining Wrestlemania 33, but in a high profile feud. His in ring work will keep him there.

 

[midgensa]

Anyone who thinks that AJ Styles needs a mouthpiece is SADLY mistaken. This IS NOT CHRIS BENOIT.

This is simply people deciding they cannot deal with a Southern accent. Which, is ridiculous. Does his accent really make him sound any worse than Ryback (who I am a mark for, even though I can't explain why) when it sounds like he has rocks in his mouth? Is it any worse than when Kane speaks through a damn mask? Nope.

AJ Styles is VERY good on the stick. He is not Jericho. He is not The Rock. He is not John Cena. But he is VERY good. He knows how to work a crowd. He obviously is pure gold in the ring.

I don't mind the early, let me wrestle, approach. But, the calling him rookie. Constantly talking about how great he has been for 18 years and then saying, "Yeah, it doesn't matter though" and then not letting him have the stick makes him look weak.

He is a flat out superstar. Anyone who has watched any wrestling outside of the WWE for the last 10 years knows this. We are not talking upper-midcard here. We are talking ELITE, top level, can carry anybody and any company, Superstar. Eventually, he will break out, even if the E tries to keep him quiet.

 

[Blade]

The Miz runs down AJ, getting heat on himself for being an arrogant, irritating douchebag. So when AJ punches Miz in the face, people cheer, and he endears himself to those who didn't know AJ beforehand.

People also sympathise and empathise with AJ because he's a smaller, quieter, more humble guy getting shit on by a loud, flashy, shallow douchebag. So, again, he endears himself to the crowd when he knocks out the Miz's teeth.

Like, how is this difficult? This is Pro Wrestling 101. The babyface gets over by punching the mean heel.

I didn't read the article the OP is referring to. It's not quite smug enough to be Madden. I'm going to assume it was written by the CSR guys, who regularly show their ignorance as to how pro wrestling works.

It comes down to one question: is AJ Styles a star? Yes, outside of the WWE. But people forget the WWE is a bubble. Much of the audience are WWE fans, not pro wrestling fans. Those people need to be endeared to AJ Styles, or else he'll go nowhere.

 

[kadroan]

AJ is a wrestling fan's wet dream, it's unfortunate that WWE is very character heavy wrestling as it's not AJ's strongest suit.

But I think he is just that good that he'll make up for that in the ring, and if he listens to Y2J on how to work a crowd, he'll develop that part of his game quick.

I was dreading him getting into a prolonged feud with Miz, but with Y2J stepping back in for another match(Jericho win, decider and blow off at FL?), maybe he can avoid that lodestone.

I would have preferred him to feud with Miz over Jericho. Miz actually got the crowd to cheer for AJ in Birmingham.

 

[MartialHorror]

I kind of feel like there should be a three way battle, but I have nothing against how AJ Styles is being developed so far. Yeah, they made him out to be a rookie, but the same thing happened to Sting. WWE isn't going to acknowledge rival companies and if they do, it will be in passing.

 

[SHAGAMANIA 3:16]

AJ Styles is great in the ring but on the mic he is a brain dead hick.