AJ Styles is Re-Living Sting '97, and It's Great

[It's Damn Real!]

Great. As in better than good. As in "Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average." (so says Dictionary.com).

And I think we saw one of the best tributes to that infamous '97 run with Stinger and the nWo on Thursday night when AJ seemingly "joined" Aces & Eights, going so far as to put on the cut they prepared for him and even to take a bit of a cheap shot at his Slammiversary opponent Kurt Angle while his "brothers" held back his arms. Of course this all went south real fast as AJ went lone wolf again in no time taking out numerous club members on his way back up the ramp, flashing his trademark P1 symbol across both the palms of his gloves the whole way up while Bully & co. cried foul in the ring.

I know there will be a horde of folks who'll come in here in no time bitching about the ol' "been there, done that" crap, criticizing TNA for re-living another WCW legacy and failing to create their own, but to them I say boo fucking hoo. Don't like it? Don't watch it. Frankly, I think it's a fantastic reincarnation of what was the single best story line in WCW history. Let's not kid ourselves into thinking that pro wrestling itself isn't one big giant rehash in the first place, so while you're complaining about this one, feel free to rattle off all the others going on every where else. As Robbie E would say, fair's fair, bro. Of course not all's fair with TNA 'round here, but that's a story for another day.

I applaud you, TNA, for being able to not only pull this off, but pull it off well. And congratulations to AJ Styles too for once again completely reinventing his character without actually sacrificing it's integrity. Damn fine job, kid! Damn fine job.

 

[PLATINUM PAT]

Yeah I thought impact last night was pretty good and alot of that is due to aj styles. I think this change to a tweener of sorts is really helping many people care about him again. While the segment at the end of impact was predictable, not everything has to be a surprise to be awesome. I've been a huge aj styles fan since the beginning but ever since hogan showed up in 2010 I don't think he's been treated right. So that's why i'm so happy to see aj being made an important part of the show again. Unless there is a huge swerve aj will win the bfg series and beat bully ray for the title a la starrcade 1997 when sting ended hollywood's long reign as champ. Keep up the good work TNA!

 

[Nate DaMac]

It's working but it isn't working quite as well as I'd hoped. It isn't AJ's fault, he's playing his character very well, but Bully Ray is no Hollywood Hogan and Aces & 8s isn't the nWo. They're building AJ up perfectly, he just doesn't have the foil that Sting did in 97.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

This angle has brought AJ Styles, who has been pretty boring for years, to life.

I've always respected AJ Styles the wrestler, dude is as they say, phenomenal, but in a company that is also trying to have entertaining characters he hadn't fit that description since Hogan and Bischoff arrived and some time before it too. He was abysmal as the protegé of Ric Flair, I mean The Miz is better in that role than AJ was and The Miz is still pretty cringeworthy doing it but AJ was horrible. Fourtune as a whole was interesting but all on his lonesome Styles again, wasn't very interesting. He floundered until they turned him face and started the never ending feud with Christopher Daniels.

Wasn't interesting during the Claire Lynch angle, which is why in the beginning so many enjoyed it, it looked like the goody two shoes Styles had screwed up but they wound up making it out he was framed and that was that. So when he came to ring, probably cut the best promo of his career - "I'm sick of being the corporate janitor" was a great line - and came back as this eerie, dark, loner Styles I loved it. It has me interested in AJ Styles outside his matches.

Whether it is a rehash or not, does it really matter? It worked for Sting, it's working for Styles. Almost every angle is a re-hash of something anyway, very few innovative and original things will be done. And all it takes is for them to decided, "well lets send AJ in this direction" instead and presto it's an angle all of its own. It's interesting, its made AJ Styles interesting, keep it up.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

It's working but it isn't working quite as well as I'd hoped. It isn't AJ's fault, he's playing his character very well, but Bully Ray is no Hollywood Hogan and Aces & 8s isn't the nWo. They're building AJ up perfectly, he just doesn't have the foil that Sting did in 97.

No doubt. Those are rather large shoes to fill, but if you temper your expectations to fit the size of the company and the size of the stars it's featuring it's excelling. Bully is the biggest heel in TNA and AJ is one of it's most famous and heralded stars who the fans hate to boo. It follows the same Sting/Hogan path as WCW laid out in '97 but with a modern twist.

 

[Miz_America]

While Im glad this storyline is having SOME payoff, i dont really like that it's just an old WCW story being told again. And what really sucks is that it's going to end the same way. The biggest problem with A&8's is that the roster is just pathetic. You need some big names on this stable to make it legit. So no, I dont like this story. It would've worked a lot better for both AJ and the audience of Styles joined Aces. But that's not happening. So it's really just more boring run around, and when it's over we're still stuck with the same shit roster for A&8's. Close TNA, but oh so far.

 

[Aquaman6686]

The main difference here is that the nWo was a great group that caused major changes throughout wrestling. The Aces & Eights are just third-rate rip-offs of them, a group consisting of 90% no-names who have never accomplished anything and never will. AJ Styles taking them out doesn't mean a damn thing.

 

[HBsam31]

It definitely big shoes to fill, but I think TNA and AJ are doing a great job with it. It has reinvented AJ, and it is the most interesting thing that has gone on with Aces and Eights since the group started. Almost everything in wrestling has been done and done again, what counts is if it is being done well. In this case it is being done well, and I like the angle more and more every week.

 

[Kliq4Life]

I thought it was pulled off pretty well for a second I thought he was joining them just for swerve sakes. My problem is the IWC says "TNA Only uses old big names" Then when they put together a group of mostly newer guys people want the group to have old big names this makes me But It's Damn Real is right it has made AJ Interesting again!

 

[ECPirate37]

First off, It's Damn Real!, great post. I look forward to your post more than just about any other, and I don't really understand "rep", but I have given you a lot of positive. haha.

Now on to my point:
I don't think it is fair to always compare the Aces & 8s to the NWO. The NWO was a SuperGroup that with the way contracts are today, probably will never happen again. It was great. And 30 year old me know that they aren't as great as the NWO. However, how many new fans have started watching wrestling since the NWO? A lot of the kids that watch now do not read the websites, and haven't ever really experienced an angle like this. I'm not sure if this has been stated before in regards to them, but Hollywood remakes movies to tell the same story, so why not remake an angle. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorite movies as a child. The remake, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory didn't do much for me. BUT, my 7 year old nephew LOVED the remake.

So even me, the guy that marked out back in high school when the NWO happened, I'm enjoying these "cast offs". Yes, I wish they had more star power, but I've gotten used to the fact these rare cast offs. And that is their reason for being there. NO ONE ELSE wanted them, so they say "Damn the man!" It is logical. They just want respect. And I think a lot of the people who are newer to wrestling are appreciating it more. And it seems from the crowd that they are getting heat.

I'm a huge fan of AJ Styles, and I am REALLY enjoying his character change. I am excited about seeing how far it will go. And yes, it seems pretty obvious that AJ will win the Bound for Glory Series, but I'm just going to enjoy the ride and see what happens along the way. I hope he goes undefeated in it this year to really drive home his badassery.

 

[Nate DaMac]

While Im glad this storyline is having SOME payoff, i dont really like that it's just an old WCW story being told again.

No story you've seen in wrestling in the past 15 years was original.

And what really sucks is that it's going to end the same way.

With Hogan refusing to do the job properly? I doubt Bully Ray has the pull to do some arrogant shit like that.

The biggest problem with A&8's is that the roster is just pathetic. You need some big names on this stable to make it legit.

Agree and disagree. The stable mostly sucks with the exception of the Dudleys and (can't believe I'm saying this) Anderson, but you don't have to have big names. The problem with A&8s is that there is an inherent stench of failure and mediocrity attached to all of those names.

So no, I dont like this story. It would've worked a lot better for both AJ and the audience of Styles joined Aces.

lolwut? How would that have made anything better? AJ is being groomed to ultimately take down the biggest heel stable in the company and somehow you think it would have been better if he just joined them and played lacky to Bully fucking Ray?

 

[scottyshowman82]

It's hard doing themes that have already been done in general, especially when it was done really well. Every major heel stable that comes out will always be compared to the nWo and what they did in WCW, I think what will make a heel stable stand out is take certain traits from the nWo but spurn off into your own direction. Nexus was the group of the young guys that worked like a well oiled until.The Shield is doing something similar with even a smaller group of guys. I like that Aces and 8's has The Dudleys/Team 3D at the top of it, so that option of to get the tag belts is always there. I also enjoyed this week the young guns of Aces and 8's made an appearance at the mid card interfering with the Gut Check bound for Glory Series. Bully also revealed he's still in love with Brooke, whether he's playing mind games or not is also a developing story. These things are good because they make the group stand out from it's counter parts.

The execution of AJ deciding whether he was in Aces in 8's was different not to say it was good or bad but different. It's almost like he stepped into the group and quickly jumped out. As Mike Tenay said, AJ is now his own man but if there was any confusion over the last minute swerve, I'm sure AJ will explain his actions next week. It does create a chaotic environment around AJ and Angle at Slammiversary who could put on 5 star match any night of week. And it will be interesting to see how AJ handles truly being on his own.

The good thing about doing a storyline that is similar to something that happened in the past is there is an opportunity to right some of the wrong the first angle had in this case the nWo. Will the Aces and 8's follow that formula to a tee or will it spurn off in it's own direction. This biker gang is still growing and developing, I'm intrigued to see where they go, and as it relates to Styles how they retaliate after a great sign of disrespect.

It really is hard to do something that's already been done.

 

[Headman]

Great. As in better than good. As in "Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average." (so says Dictionary.com).

And I think we saw one of the best tributes to that infamous '97 run with Stinger and the nWo on Thursday night when AJ seemingly "joined" Aces & Eights, going so far as to put on the cut they prepared for him and even to take a bit of a cheap shot at his Slammiversary opponent Kurt Angle while his "brothers" held back his arms. Of course this all went south real fast as AJ went lone wolf again in no time taking out numerous club members on his way back up the ramp, flashing his trademark P1 symbol across both the palms of his gloves the whole way up while Bully & co. cried foul in the ring.

I know there will be a horde of folks who'll come in here in no time bitching about the ol' "been there, done that" crap, criticizing TNA for re-living another WCW legacy and failing to create their own, but to them I say boo fucking hoo. Don't like it? Don't watch it. Frankly, I think it's a fantastic reincarnation of what was the single best story line in WCW history. Let's not kid ourselves into thinking that pro wrestling itself isn't one big giant rehash in the first place, so while you're complaining about this one, feel free to rattle off all the others going on every where else. As Robbie E would say, fair's fair, bro. Of course not all's fair with TNA 'round here, but that's a story for another day.

I applaud you, TNA, for being able to not only pull this off, but pull it off well. And congratulations to AJ Styles too for once again completely reinventing his character without actually sacrificing it's integrity. Damn fine job, kid! Damn fine job.

Why do you always preemptively speak for people with an opposing point of view? It's almost as if you think if you make the argument for them, then crap on it it makes your post immune to criticism.

Anywhoooo. It's not the most creative move but I'm glad they're doing something. For a while it seemed like they were building a hot group with a hot heel champion but no baby face to benefit from it. It really looked like Hogan was booking himself as the foil to ACES & EIGHTS, but now it looks like they at least have a direction. As re-hashed as it may be. So, no mr "If you disagree with me you're a hater WWE mark.". I saw this as an "Been there, done that" move, but a much needed one. And even though I'm far from an AJ Styles mark, I think he has the history with the company and the connection with the TNA fans to be the guy to push in this situation.

 

[STFU Donnie]

I think TNA has done a great job positioning AJ as a Sting remake. There are just enough differences to give AJ his own flavor and I for one think TNA is brilliant to do it. I will never understand why WWE and TNA don't look to the past for inspiration more often. One need only look to Hollywood and both film and TV to see that original ideas are EXTREMELY rare...so people crapping on rehashed ideas and demanding originality are living in a dream land. If anything, wrestling writers are so much more constrained than film and TV writers and their glance to the past is both smart and justified.

But I do have a worry about how TNA handles AJ going forward.

I've often thought Nick Patrick blowing the fast count obscured a simple reality about Sting's character. Sting spent a year silent, hanging in the rafters, occasionally helping people, but always to attack the NWO as the solitary figure. So once you give him the big win versus Hogan, then what? Now he's wounded the NWO and is WCW champ...so does he continue to be the silent, solitary figure or does he become more like a typical top guy, coming out from the dressing room, cutting promos, appearing on every Nitro as champ, teaming with other babyfaces, basically making him the old Sting? WCW chose the latter and I think screwed what worked about the new Sting.

If ultimately AJ's new character keeps flowing and at BFG, he gets the match with Bully Ray and wins the TNA title, will TNA have the discipline to leave the new AJ, who is successful, alone and let him continue to play the character as is...or will they suddenly have him cutting promos, tagging with the other babyfaces, and basically making him the old AJ?

I just hope TNA is smart enough that if they don't think they can keep AJ as this new character AND have him be the guy to beat Bully Ray and become TNA champ with all the duties and tasks that come with it, then they won't have him beat Bully for the title. This new character is a re-birth for AJ and works so well for him...there's no reason to blow that just to make him champ.

 

[Lowdown]

The ending of Impact this week was a little predictable, yet I figured AJ would hang with A&8's for a while then turn on them leading up to BFG. I agree that I lime this side of AJ. I don't want all this to end up like Starrcade '97 again though. I don't know where this will lead, especially being AJ can't get a title shot until BFG or immediately afterwards.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I think they're trying to go for the "storyline done right" a lot of people didn't like the payoff with the original nWo angle and of course we all know the group went on too long. I'm sure, or rather hope, that Bischoff and co will have learned from their mistake(s) and give this angle a much better ending.

Since AJ was teasing the whole thing for so long in the segment before putting the cut on I was genuinely surprised when he did turn on them. I do think they missed a trick, they should've given him a cut with a hood on, that would've been perfect for AJ

 

[The Shining Wizard]

Anything that makes AJ Styles more interesting gets my approval, which doesn't mean jack shit. At least there's some sort of light at the end of this A&8s tunnel other than just having Sting and/or Hogan be the one's given the credit of putting an end to them. That is if they go the route of having AJ be the foil for A&8s.

 

[Obliteration13]

Here is the difference (and it is a BIG difference); Sting was taking on someone (Hogan) and something (the NWO) people cared about. Sting was taking on big names and stars that were established and had some major credibility. Styles is taking on Angle which is a big name, but he is fighting a faction (the Asses ain't Greats) that has one guy (Bully Ray) that is over. The other members have no real credibility in the business and are a paper faction . . . Styles should fight them with scissors and a stapler. Doc is one hammer hit to the head from going back into Festus mode; Knox's best talent is growing that beard; Baby Bischoff's silver spoon in his mouth creates a choking risk for him every time he wrestles; Brisco looks like he's one more steroid injection from his face exploding on camera; Anderson's skinny arms wouldn't be able to take my grandmother in a two-out-of-three arm-wrestling match; Devon can only testify that he's a major afterthought to Bubba's career; and if there are any other members of the group I can't remember who they are. That should say something right there. So, in short, Styles might as well fight some senior citizens in a retirement home. Styles is a great talent, but comparing this angle to the Sting angle is ridiculous due to the major difference in personnel. Good luck A.J. . . . can't wait for those sterling one-on-one matches with this sterling league of superheroes; Festus, the Beard, Injection Brisco, the Silver Spoon Baby, the Second Fiddle Devon and the "Am I a Blond or a Brunette" Bunghole Anderson. Can't (zzzzzzzz) wait (zzzzzzzzz).

 

[Weems2k]

There is one difference between this Styles, and Sting back in 97. Crow Sting throughout the whole year showed no emotion, said nothing, and pretty much didn't know where he was coming from. Styles seems to be showing some emotions at times, and saying a few words.

Why is every big faction compared to the nWo? There were plenty of factions before they hit the scene, and there's plenty formed after. There'll never be another nWo, or DX, or Horsemen if you want to go back that far. Also, I don't see what's so wrong with re-creating a previous wrestling angle. If it works, why not? Hollywood obviously hasn't had any original ideas in forever since everything coming out is either a remake, reboot, or bad sequel.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Okay, I'm sick of this "This is just Sting vs nWo lite" crap! It has similarities but then again so did Cena vs the Nexus and, like that storyline, it has major differences.

Sting's metamorphoses was due to friends and fans not believing in him; AJ's because he was sick of being 'Mr TNA' and wants to concentrate of the'One' part of 'Phenomenal One'.
Sting did not compete from his transformation to 'Crow' until he met Hogan in the ring - AJ has already faced James Storm, is about to face Kurt Angle and will probably have to go through the rest of the Aces and Eights before he can get to Bully.
Sting never attacked WCW guys, AJ has attacked James Storm, Bad Influence and Kurt Angle - he certainly isn't representing TNA at this juncture.
The Aces & Eights are NOT the nWo, they are not looking to run TNA out of business. They are just looking to dominate, this puts them more in the vein of the Dangerous Alliance or Four Horsemen.
Sting gave several WCW guys a litmus test to see if they were against him or not... AJ doesn't care.

Everyone is very happy to say that AJ is going to rescue TNA from the Aces & Eights and Bully Ray but I hate to point it out to y'all but there is a major flaw in that argument at present - he cares as little about his ex TNA colleagues as he does about the bikers. Sting decided he was going to rescue WCW; at present AJ Styles has decided he is going to rescue HIMSELF and the brilliant finish to the last Impact only furthers that stance... or if you guys really want to compare AJ to someone, compare him to 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin or Randy Orton who also found their niche being all about number (Phenomenal) 1!

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I never watched WCW so I'm not even remotely aware of the storyline people are talking about, and something tells me a lot of the people bitching it's a rehash haven't either. Still, even if I followed it religiously I'd be okay with it, because it's a different company and different people are involved.

For anyone to sit here and tell me that authenticity is the most important thing in wrestling, a make it or break it element, well that's just silly. It doesn't take away, nor does it add anything to the storyline. It's just an argument for internet fans to throw around and act like they know something. The nWo was a rehash and it worked. Sting himself was almost a carbon copy of The Crow and it worked. Hell, he was a carbon copy of The Joker not too long ago and it worked. Seems to me fans back then didn't give a shit if something was a copy or not, as long as it was good. This brings me to the next point.

Is this good? Short answer: Yes. Aces and Eights really need someone to go against them. Not just "TNA" or something vague as "the good guys". They need someONE to define their agenda, someONE to stop. It's the usual villain - hero story. They both need to be defined by one another.

On one end you have the Aces and Eights who have improved since Bully revealed himself as the president. At this point they're coasting and not really doing anything of importance. A lot of plot holes in this one. Somehow Bully has "the power" if he has the belt, but it was never specified what this power is. 'Fuck can Bully do? If anyone has the power, it's Hogan. Hogan has enough power to fire Bully if he felt like it and vacate the belt.

This, I feel, is the storyline's biggest flaw. WHY does it matter that Bully holds the title? What does Bully and his Goombas control by having the belt? Nothing. He's just a Champion and he controls the Championship.

Hogan's argument should have been that he doesn't feel comfortable with having a scumbag as the main man in TNA and he wants someone to remedy that. Not this "he has the power" and "TNA is in trouble" bullshit. It isn't. If it is, please explain how.

Other than that, the stable's alright. They seem like more of a unit, Anderson is fitting in surprisingly, Ray is always great and the rest of the guys do their job as filler hitmen.

AJ Styles though? I think it's safe to say that this is the first time in years people have been interested in AJ Styles as something more than the guy who does the flips. In fact, this IS the first time AJ Styles has had layers to his character. AJ Styles is no longer just a wrestler, he's becoming a character. Now we know what AJ likes and dislikes. We know what pisses him off, we know what inspires him, we know what made him who he is.

AJ right now is the bi-product of years of loyal servitude under TNA's banner as well as peer pressure and personal/professional low he has experienced. His recent loss to Storm and the fact that he won't be able to wrestle for the World Title until BFG '13 were the catalyst to his transformation. As usual, huge loss triggers change, just as it did with Bobby Roode when he lost to Angle and turned on his best friend.

Styles no longer cares about TNA, he doesn't care about his best friends nor his enemies. He's in it for himself, he's done with being the loyal dog he was and he mows down anyone who looks at him sideways. He is now a BONAFIDE BADASS.

It also shows that AJ Styles' failures in the last few years were caused by his demons and distractions. AJ cared about TNA, he cared about the fans, he cared about his own level and what he had to live up to. Since "losing his smile", he shed all of these worries, thus removing the limitations on what he can do and getting back to what made him good, which in turn makes him dangerous.

Now he uses his ability for his own selfish purposes and really doesn't give a damn about the consequences.

The fact that I am able to break down his character right now is a testimony to TNA's great attempt at making him relevant, AJ Styles' delivery and the fact that AJ is finally SOMEONE, not just a faceless symbol of TNA.

Mix him and the Aces and Eights - who are also characters and are also driven and multi-layered - and you have yourself a potentially amazing storyline.

I expect things to pick up from this point on. TNA really needs to stop focusing on the Angles and the Hogans and make Aces and EIghts wage a full on war against AJ Styles. He needs to seem dangerous and nothing can tell that story better than 7 men trying to stop just one AJ Styles.

In my opinion it'll be great if AJ has separate short feuds with all the members, literally taking them out with every storyline finish. Taking out means injuring them, breaking bones. Break one guy's neck, one guy's leg, arms, back, jaw, dislocate something - it doesn't matter. AJ needs to put them out of comission and scratch and claw his way to Bully Ray at Bound for Glory where he finally puts them ALL to rest by taking Bully Ray out as well after a hard fought match.

Styles needs to be TNA's version of Batman or some other lone wolf. He needs to brand this new persona and maintain it from now on, never going back to his previous incarnation. If TNA wants to rehash something, rehash the essence of Batman. He is a vigilante who uses scare tactics and intimidation to deliver what he believes is justice. He doesn't kill, but he puts people in full body casts. He works outside of law but does more good than people think. Styles can easily be just that. He bows down to no one and goes about doing his own business. When Hogan wants him to fight Aces and Eights, he fights them on his own time and only when they give him a reason. They could be tearing TNA to shreds, if it doesn't involve Styles he doesn't care, and if it does - God help them. He's not a face, he's not a heel, he's your modern day tweener. Keep the leather jackets, keep the hood, maybe change the music and maintain the attitude. Styles needs a reboot and he got one.

I just hope TNA will pull the trigger.

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

The Aces & Eights are just third-rate rip-offs of them, a group consisting of 90% no-names who have never accomplished anything and never will.

D'Lo Brown-Former European and Intercontinental champion in WWE. He was a pretty popular midcarder back in '98-'99.

Mr. Anderson-Two time TNA champion. U.S. champion in WWE.

Dudley Boys-Do I even need to start?

That's 50% of Aces and Eights right there. Sure D'Lo has been somewhat irrelevant for most of this century, but still. I think it's a little too soon to say Garrett, Wes, DOC and Knox/Knux will never accomplish anything. However, I wouldn't mind if they had more members of bigger name value.

As for AJ....I never saw the deal with Sting/nWo in WCW so it's fresh to me. That was also 15-16 years ago so people should remember that. WWE repeats angles that they just did a few months prior. (Triple H relieving Vince of his duties only for Vince to basically do the same to Triple H.) I would've enjoyed seeing AJ join Aces and Eights, but with the way they were hyping it, anyone could see he wasn't going to join. I do like this version of AJ styles and Impact Wrestling continues to gain a lot more of my interest than WWE (mainly Raw) has in a long time.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

D'Lo Brown-Former European and Intercontinental champion in WWE. He was a pretty popular midcarder back in '98-'99.

Mr. Anderson-Two time TNA champion. U.S. champion in WWE.

Dudley Boys-Do I even need to start?

That's 50% of Aces and Eights right there. Sure D'Lo has been somewhat irrelevant for most of this century, but still. I think it's a little too soon to say Garrett, Wes, DOC and Knox/Knux will never accomplish anything. However, I wouldn't mind if they had more members of bigger name value.

As for AJ....I never saw the deal with Sting/nWo in WCW so it's fresh to me. That was also 15-16 years ago so people should remember that. WWE repeats angles that they just did a few months prior. (Triple H relieving Vince of his duties only for Vince to basically do the same to Triple H.) I would've enjoyed seeing AJ join Aces and Eights, but with the way they were hyping it, anyone could see he wasn't going to join. I do like this version of AJ styles and Impact Wrestling continues to gain a lot more of my interest than WWE (mainly Raw) has in a long time.

That's another point. Yes, while it is a remake, this particular storyline has been done once or twice in the last 23 years. As far as I can remember, aside from Sting and nWo, the only similar storyline would be Rock being split with joining the WWF or The Aliance. However, in that instance, The Rock was a team player for the WWF he just didn't like Vince. So, technically, there's only been one memorable instance of this.

For the sake of the argument, I'll take a storyline that was done 15 years ago and hasn't had any noteable reincarnations since, over something like Axel Curtis, The Shield holding a lot of belts or any of the other bullshit on TV today we've seen a thousand times.

Even as a rehash, it's still fresh compared to what's going on today.

Still, what always matters the most is the content, not the authenticity. Orlando Jordan squirting some questionable white liquid on himself and acting as gay as the day is long as pretty damn edgy and unique (much like Goldust was), and it bombed. Why? Jordan sucks. No pun intended.

As long as what is shown is good, fans couldn't care less if it was a rehash or not. I'll take good rehashes over terrible new ideas.

 

[JJYanks121]

I have no problem with something being rahashed 16 years later. What I do have a problem with is the fact that the storytelling here is as piss poor as you can get.

There's a MAJOR difference between Sting in 1997 and AJ Styles in 2013. The fans NEVER questioned Sting and never had any reason to believe he wouldn't eventually be the hero. The only questioning was done by the wrestlers themselves and that alone is what made Sting a loner for a while. He was victimized by the nWo like everyone else, but all it took to sell the WCW top stars on Sting betraying them was a bad look-a-like appearing on a show. Sting was upset that the company he loved and represented believed that he'd turn against them so he bailed for a while. Despite the nWo "recruiting" him, there wasn't anybody with a brain that would think that Sting would join those guys. Sting was always the hero and it was only a matter of time before he played the hero.

And then there's AJ Styles. Now, AJ was beaten by a guy he's lost to before and beaten many times as well. He was pissed that he wouldn't have a shot at the World Title and that he had bad storylines so he bailed. The big difference here is that AJ comes off as a whiny baby (or a heel to wrestling fans) whereas Sting came off as victimized by his friends for not trusting that he was in the fight with them.

When Sting returned, he beat the crap out of the nWo and said "is that good enough for you?"

When AJ returned, he attacked two people, aligned as a face and a heel.

AJ's recruitment by the Aces and Eights, a group that didn't take him out and didn't have any interaction with him other than inviting him to join, is vastly different than Sting's interaction with the nWo, a group that hurt his friends (that he still cared about despite them not trusting him) and challenged his company. AJ has helped the Aces and Eights for months now. He's fought with James Storm and now Kurt Angle, two guys that should be focused on fighting the Aces and Eights. In fact, he's still focused on attacking Angle even if he apparently isn't with Aces and Eights. It doesn't matter if it's official or not, AJ is attacking one of the few guys fighting for TNA and thus, AJ has absolutely no reason to be cheered despite attacking a bad guy group from behind with a hammer.

The problem is that people have no reason to like AJ Styles in this incarnation. The fans ALWAYS liked Sting and never had any reason NOT to like him. That's a major issue in this story at this point. Fans have been given every reason NOT to like AJ.

The real people victimized by Aces and Eights are the old dudes, Kurt Angle, and Jeff Hardy. AJ Styles has never been victimized by the group and really has no reason to be the hero in this story. If anything, those other guys need to be the heroes to exact revenge. Why look to a guy who has screwed them over in their quest to get at this group?

But of course, we're looking at Bully laughing at Styles because he can't get a title shot, only for AJ to win the BFG series and take down Bully Ray. Why he should be the guy, I have no idea. I guess because the loosely terrible re-telling of the nWo and Sting makes AJ the 2013 version of Sting but that doesn't mean it's told well enough for it to make sense or for this to be a good idea. To this point, the story only makes sense to people who know the original story and are naive or stupid enough to look past every fatally pathetic storytelling issue here to see that it's similar.

AJ isn't sympathetic, he's a whiny baby. Fans who have the capacity to think have no reason to cheer for him, to like him, and to root for him. He's also a heel who is fighting babyfaces that just decided not to join a heel group. He's still a heel fighting Kurt Angle but just wants to do it alone rather than with a group.

I'm sorry, but just because a few people are nostalgia for WCW and a few more are willing to give TNA the benefit of the doubt at every turn doesn't mean we should all ignore poor storytelling to laud it as great. It isn't great. It isn't good, it isn't even mediocre. It's piss poor.

I'm sorry for being so blunt, but that is what I believe.

 

[JJohns]

As much as it seems that he's Sting in 97...what he did reminded me more of DDP when Hall and Nash asked him to join, they celebrated and then Diamond Cutters for the both of them. They pulled the trigger way to early with AJ. His wrestling Kurt Angle hurts the angle, they should have kept him out until a month before BFG, where he could return to challenge Bully Ray. That was the thing that made the Sting angle great, and that was the slow build, the fact that Sting didn't wrestle for a year to build to that match. Now they lose the specialness that would have come from AJ facing Bully in his first match since Final Resolution.