AJ Styles - Great Athlete but Lack of Charisma?

[mayhem]

At No Surrender AJ Styles captured his 1st TNA Championship under the TNA banner and had performed memorably in matches with Matt Morgan and Kurt Angle prior to winning the championship. He also got a decent match out of Sting at BFG and Sting surrendered his undefeated record at BFG to put over AJ Styles as the future.

However his ability to work the mic has been questioned and his in ring ability seems to do the talking for him as opposed to his mic skills and ability to draw the crowd in with his charisma. Many agree he is a better in ring performer than Cena was as WWE Champion but Cena can draw huge crowds and get a reaction from almost everyone.

If TNA wish to get to the next level will they have to take the strap off of AJ Styles soon due to his bland charachter?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

And how long did it take Cena to really get as over as he's gotten now? A long time. It took numerous championship runs, and wins over major (political) figures in the WWE like HHH (via tap out, no less) to vault him there, and even now he still gets a mixed bag reaction. It's certainly more positive than negative at this point, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still not over in some circles.

A.J. is well on his way there. It's the reason they're booking him to be as strong of a champion as he has been with wins over Matt Morgan, Samoa Joe, Daniels, Sting and especially Kurt Angle. It legitimizes him, despite his "bland character" that people seem to not give a shit about.

These things require a lot more patience than people seem to be willing to give them. Wrestling characters simply aren't as strong (naturally) as the game changers we saw in the late 80's and 90's, so the development of actually building a champion really matters now.

I didn't hear many people complaining about Jeff Hardy when he finally got his runs as WWE Champion over the last two years. Jeff Hardy has the personality of a fucking dial tone, and his promos sound like he's an angry emo kid writing "lyrics" in his first band. Certainly didn't stop him from vaulting straight to the top. Ring work speaks loudest. Character speaks second. Ability to cut the perfect interview is just an added bonus, not a prerequisite for success.

 

[NSL]

Wait...AJ isn't over? What exactly are you smoking, and give me the number to your dealer.

Do you actually watch TNA? The second his music hits, there isn't an ass in the seat, in the Impact Zone, or at home. And then the second he steps into the showers of sparks and holds up his hood, there's more marking out. This is a man that has the entire crowd in his hand before he even takes a step onto the ramp.

I personally don't see a problem with his mic skills, but will admit he's more "average" than "oh my god!". He doesn't need superb mic skills to get the crowd involved though. Look at him fly around the ring, and look at his body language throughout the match. He lands a springboard forearm, and then you get the pose with his arms stretched wide. He sells better than most guys in the company, and he can do more than anyone in (probably) either company.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Wait...AJ isn't over? What exactly are you smoking, and give me the number to your dealer.

Do you actually watch TNA? The second his music hits, there isn't an ass in the seat, in the Impact Zone, or at home. And then the second he steps into the showers of sparks and holds up his hood, there's more marking out. This is a man that has the entire crowd in his hand before he even takes a step onto the ramp.

I personally don't see a problem with his mic skills, but will admit he's more "average" than "oh my god!". He doesn't need superb mic skills to get the crowd involved though. Look at him fly around the ring, and look at his body language throughout the match. He lands a springboard forearm, and then you get the pose with his arms stretched wide. He sells better than most guys in the company, and he can do more than anyone in (probably) either company.

Not sure if this was directed at me, but I didn't mean to come off as saying A.J. isn't over. He's absolutely over, IMO, but he's not as over as he should be (or could be), and that's mainly becuase it's the way he was booked over the last year and a half. TNA has done a lot to change that in recent months by giving him a real title run, finally.

 

[shipititez]

What A.J really needs to solidify himself as a legitimate World Champion is a monster Heel. I think that TNA does a poor job of booking him as a strong champion. There have been numerous backstage promos that he has cut, where the belt is laying behind him on a bench. A champion should ALWAYS hold the belt during a promo, to reinforce his status as world champion to the casual viewer. But back to my original point, I think A.J styles should be booked in a similar fashion as Bret Hart was during his first tenure as WWF champion. The logical course of booking to me, is to turn Matt Morgan into a monster heel, like Sid Vicious or Vader were during there peak. A good face is only as strong as the devastation of his adversary.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

What A.J really needs to solidify himself as a legitimate World Champion is a monster Heel. I think that TNA does a poor job of booking him as a strong champion. There have been numerous backstage promos that he has cut, where the belt is laying behind him on a bench. A champion should ALWAYS hold the belt during a promo, to reinforce his status as world champion to the casual viewer. But back to my original point, I think A.J styles should be booked in a similar fashion as Bret Hart was during his first tenure as WWF champion. The logical course of booking to me, is to turn Matt Morgan into a monster heel, like Sid Vicious or Vader were during there peak. A good face is only as strong as the devastation of his adversary.

I agree whole-heartedly, and I think you'll start to see that as they continue into the Hogan era. Keep in mind that a guy like Bobby Lashley has a title shot at some point, and Matt Morgan is certainly knocking on the door. The bigger the guys are who come after him, the better he looks when he beats them. I'd even consider pushing Tomko there.

 

[a0161613]

AJ was a heel during the Prince AJ period. I believe his face turn came after he kissed Karen Angle. That led to his brilliant feud with Kurt. While a heel, he apparently showed good comic timing, worked well with Christian, Angle and had a good tag title reign with Tomko.

Since then, his promos have been much improved and his ring work have improved alongside it. To say he lacks charisma is to not understand the psychology of his current booking.

But the key to AJ's current reign IMO is that he is being pushed as the unbeatable, never say die ultra babyface. The title that he would rather die for than lose. He will get his ass beat down but come back. I know his roll up on Wolfe was criticised but he did what was absolutely necessary for him to retain the belt.

Russo refuses to book him "strongly" but this is a fresh approach to further differentiate him from Angle, Cena and HHH.

AJ works well with a number of styles and after this X Division style feud with Joe and Daniels, he will confront his attacker who is bigger and will force AJ onto the back foot.

But I say again: his promos have improved and charisma is not in doubt IMO. AJ is doing nothing wrong as champ. I concede it may not attract new fans but let Hogan and Angle do that.

 

[Freddy4190]

He doesn't even have to speak to get over. He isn't as charismatic as some people, but it's there. The man is one of the best superstars to step into that six sided ring. He's an unbelievable worker, an amazing talent. He is so over it's not funny. The second his music hits, the crowd explodes. They know they're in for a good match when AJ walks out. His skills in the ring are second to none, he's not called "Simply Phenomenal" for nothing.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Styles is pretty over with TNA's audience, particularly the hardcore devotees of the company. As far as Styles' charisma goes, I've definitely seen worse. But, is he in the league of the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin or HBK? Not a chance. But, there's nothing really wrong with that because the kind of charisma that can just seemingly captivate EVERYONE doesn't come along very often at all.

As far as Styles' work on the mic, well he's not all that great in my opinion. I've certainly heard worse, but I've also certainly heard better. Styles has enough charisma and mic ability coupled with great in-ring ability to the point that he doesn't really have to worry about getting over.

If anything, Styles' biggest problem right now is the fact that TNA creative has been booking him to look like a weak champion on a pretty regular basis.

 

[Dagger Dias]

If TNA wish to get to the next level will they have to take the strap off of AJ Styles soon due to his bland charachter?

I don't find his character bland. He's the face of TNA and the most famous star they have other than the.... "WWE/WCW rejects" .... as some call them. Getting TNA to the next level should not mean taking the title off AJ, quite the opposite. He's the perfect member of the federation to keep the title on. I don't think he lacks charisma at all. He's good on the mic and one of the best in the ring. Styles' charisma is not the problem. TNA's lack of advertising is. I think that they can get to the next level if they just tried harder with advertising and getting new fans because then they will tune in, see Styles as the TNA Champion, and get behind him because he has what it takes to be the face of the company.

So, no.... I disagree and TNA should not take the title off AJ for "lack of a good character" to get to the next level because he does have a great character. I think they CAN reach the next level with him as champion because he is such a great pick to be the top guy in the company.

 

[Tenta]

I don't say this often, and I'll probably never say it again, unless I'm talking about big men; AJ Styles doesn't need good interview skills to get over. First of all, let us clarify that AJ is actually over. He's the hottest thing going right now in TNA, and he's hitting his prime. He simply works fantastic matches. It's almost like a high flying Bret Hart; you realize something is missing in the promo department, yet you don't care. AJ knows what he needs to do to get over. For him, cutting promos doesn't particularly suit his forte. However, he knows he can draw anyway, as long as he keeps performing the way he does in the ring, and as long as he can people not expecting his every move. The guy is simply a great wrestler, and when you're as talented as him, you don't need microphone skills.

At least, in TNA. He won't need them as long as he stays there. If he decides the grass is greener, he's dead. As for now, he realizes what his bread and butter is, and what he has to get over. Thusly, that's exactly what he'll do.

 

[RavensFlock1990]

AJ is not "over" like some people claim he is. AJ is over to fans in one city that attend Impact for free every single taping. Everyone on the TNA roster is over in the Impact Zone. Go up to someone on the street and ask them who Cena or Taker or HHH or even Jericho or Big Show and I guarantee you even alot of non-wrestling people will have heard of them. AJ is a complete unheard of nobody outside of the Impact Zone and wrestling forums.

Now with that being said I think AJ lacks the "it" factor to appeal to a huge audience. Sure he's a great wrestler but he doesn't have the "it" factor to make most people care. He's just bland. Guys like Jeff Hardy and RVD are weak on the mic but they had the "it" factor that made millions of fans care. AJ just seems like Evan Bourne with a world title to me.

 

[Lancer]

This argument has been tossed around the forums several times before, and the end result is always the same: the majority of posters agree that AJ Styles has charisma.

It may not be the same charisma as the WWE Shareholder-favorites John Cena or Jeff Hardy. His charisma comes from the fact that he is a smaller guy, from a small town, in a "big man's sport," with a World title. He will fight the odds every night and will try his absolute best to come out victorious. It's as simple as that.

As another poster mentioned earlier, he has the ability to cut great promos and have an unique character, as evidenced by his run as a heel. But right now, his booking is different. What do you want him to do, give Hernandez the fucking Attitude Adjustment? Give me a break. This is a joke.

 

[a0161613]

AJ is not "over" like some people claim he is. AJ is over to fans in one city that attend Impact for free every single taping. Everyone on the TNA roster is over in the Impact Zone. Go up to someone on the street and ask them who Cena or Taker or HHH or even Jericho or Big Show and I guarantee you even alot of non-wrestling people will have heard of them. AJ is a complete unheard of nobody outside of the Impact Zone and wrestling forums.

Now with that being said I think AJ lacks the "it" factor to appeal to a huge audience. Sure he's a great wrestler but he doesn't have the "it" factor to make most people care. He's just bland. Guys like Jeff Hardy and RVD are weak on the mic but they had the "it" factor that made millions of fans care. AJ just seems like Evan Bourne with a world title to me.

This does my head in. I guarantee you've never been to a TNA show and haven't seen the shit he can do. All the praise he gets is so deserved but to someone who doesn't see him work or develop as a performer, they won't get it.

AJ is all about "it" factor. He is the ideal "small" world champion because he sells so well and connects with the audience, all while being able to deliver big time offensively.

And the Evan Bourne comparison just shows how imbecilic your view is. If Matt Sydal become half of what AJ Styles is in WWE, they will have a real talent.

 

[ABMorales787]

Jeff Hardy never had good mic skills. look at how for he went without them. What about RVD? Same thing. AJ comes out and the crowd goes into a riot of cheers. He may not be as good on the mic, but he seems to garner the fans attention despite of all the bad booking. He's in the same position as any company face. No matter what, the crowd will always support him.

 

[Uncle Sam]

AJ does not lack charisma. As the vanilla babyface that he plays perfectly well, few people would knock your socks off.

However, if there's one thing that the Prince AJ gimmick proved beyond a doubt it's that AJ can ooze charisma when he wants to. People walking behind him would often slip over in the trail of charisma that he left. When he was Prince AJ, he was probably the most charismatic person in wrestling.

 

[Kanye South]

AJ is the best athlete in pro wrestling right now. Period. That being said, he's shit on the mic. I have not heard one promo from him that was even remotely good. Never. In my fucking life. And that's not good, considering how John Cena (his WWE Counterpart) can work the mic like no other. Whether Cena is trying to be funny or trying to be serious, he can work the mic. And thats something I can't say for AJ. Stick a manager on Styles, because the face of your company needs to be entertaining out of the ring. That was the case for Hogan. That was the case for Austin and The Rock. That is the case for Cena, and it needs to be the case for AJ Styles.