AJ Styles Turns Face Again?

[SpecialFNK]

Sooooo no more dark "Crow Sting" AJ anymore? AJ walked out tonight in his hoodie, only to rip it off and show he was back to old phenomenal AJ with his old music. He even got the pin in the match with his Styles Clash.

One week dark lone AJ who doesn't care about the fans. Next week, he loves the fans again and is part of MEM.

What do people think?

 

[Zeven_Zion]

sooooo.
bumping this old thread. no more dark "Crow Sting" AJ anymore? AJ walked out tonight in his hoodie, only to rip it off and show he was back to old phenomenal AJ with his old music. he even got the pin in the match with his Styles Clash.

one week dark lone AJ who doesn't care about the fans. next week, he loves the fans again and is part of MEM.

what do people think?

I don't think that was TNA's plan all along. I think this all comes from Angle's DWI stuff and him going to rehab. Creative sat down, decided they'll do this with AJ and they did. It's very sudden because they literally came up with it last week probably.

Do I like it? Eh. I liked darker AJ. If he can somehow mix this attitude with his old attitude it could be nice. Either way, AJ needs a title reign. Badly. I want to see that more than his gimmicks.

 

[New Hot Fed]

I cannot believe they're going to abandon the whole dark character, the new AJ was so interesting, you didn't know what he would do next.

Also the positive is that it kept AJ from doing a few things he had been doing in recent years that I didn't like. Whether it was doing repetitive stuff like his chain drop-kick that he used. Or the extending his arms to brag. Or the corny P1 stuff. Furthermore, it kept his talking to his minimum and to me AJ is not the best to convey certain emotions when he talks, I mean he just comes off as whiny, as a face in particular. Also it distanced him from the "kid with high flying talent" stuff, he was closer to a man with that No One gimmick.

Just my 2 Cents.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Honestly, much as I loved the dark character, it took a bad turn when he started cutting those promos about money. They took what was '97 Sting and turned him into what was something more like Raven with the whole "what about me" stuff. Still an OK character, but in terms of the arc everyone was hoping for with him winning the BFG Series and going on to win the WHC by beating Bully Ray at Bound For Glory? Sorta put a wrench in those gears.

And seriously, if you weren't marking the fuck out when AJ came down, his Evil Ways music stopped and the Get Ready to Fly hit, I don't know what to tell you. You just flat out don't like entertainment, because I legitimately cheered out loud and went back to watch it three times after the fact because it was so well done. Absolutely every detail about it was amazing right down to Tenay's commentary and both the Mafia and Aces' reactions to it. The live crowd exploded for it too. Go back and watch it again if you don't believe me.

The best part about this is that it now re-aligns the arc I referred to earlier. You don't get '97 Sting out of it, but you now have the opportunity to have AJ be that guy despite the fact.

I for one fucking loved it.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

You know I noticed that all the Sting comparisons vanished into thin air when AJ started talking about doing it for the money. I thought it was a nice little spin on things and definitely separated the comparisons.

Now as for AJ being back to the Phenomenal One...hmm I dunno. If it was under different circumstances I'd have liked it more, this just felt like a last minute decision, done because of Angle's situation. Also he definitely should have cut his hair, would've made the moment so much better.

 

[Jstrike]

lets face it, mem aint working.
they have tried mma guys. future guys past guys.
and the new mem sucks.
so they needed something to get some attention.
i enjoyed the aj styles face turn.
it felt alittle rushed.
but since thiers rumors aj styles may not resign. it was now or never.
for aj styles to turn face. i think tna would rather let him go out a face then a heel.

 

[UFOcalling]

Do you think AJ will stay face? ...part of me thinks there's a slim chance he'll go back to "dark AJ" sometime before BfG. I know it was a mark-out moment last night when "Get Ready To Fly" came over the PA, and the odds are definitely better that AJ is back to the "old" AJ, but I thought I'd play the devil's advocate for just a minute. I know, AJ would have had to attack someone in the MEM to close iMPACT to really solidify that he hadn't changed back to his "old" ways, but something tells me that it's just some sort of a ruse...and AJ might have to cheat to win the BfG series, or something. Maybe this "change of heart" has something to do with AJ's contract coming up (TNA creative changed AJ's character because AJ was sick of playing it?), or maybe AJ's face turn was rushed because Kurt is in rehab. I obviously don't know, and there are so many possibilities. Call it a long-shot, call it a hunch; but I don't think we've seen the last of "dark" AJ...just don't quote me on that.

Regardless, I was happy to see AJ in action last night (as many other fans seemed to have been as well)...but I would have been happier if they kept AJ the way he was, at least until BfG. AJ was great in the ring last night (last week? ha), and AJ's turn leaves a lot of unanswered questions for iMPACT next week (which is usually a good thing in the wrastlin' business): Is AJ a full-time MEM member? Did he change his ways for one night only, so he could get rid of an A&8s member? What happened to the mini feud we were seeing between AJ & Joe? AJ & Angle? What about the BfG tournament, if AJ is a MEM member? Will there be a conflict between AJ, Joe & Magnus? I think TNA has a lot of avenues to go down, and I'm excited to see where it goes... I just hope AJ's performance last night was merely his "coming out" match, and iMPACT doesn't turn "New Leaf" AJ into their version of Super-Cena on a permanent basis.

 

[Trill Co$by]

If you ask me, it seems that TNA had one of those out of the blue EWR moments and made a quick decision when Kurt checked into rehab. Which, in all honesty, was pretty well handled and a class act. Rather than put down Angle or have stars bash him, they publicly admitted to be supportive of him which is great. It shows tremendous character. And turning AJ, honestly wasn't that great of a shock. When Styles last faced Aries, TNA started showing glimpses of AJ turning face. The turn may have been forced sooner than expected, but I'm willing to bet that it wasn't by much.

 

[biffanorich]

Here are a couple of my thoughts to this AJ "turning face moment":

1. This pretty much was going to happen sooner or later. For me the "dark AJ" was just not believable. Allen Jones is one of those rare once a generation in-ring talents (i.e. Benoit, Malenko, Gurerro) that just doesn't need much of a gimmick. AJ got to where he is because of his in-ring ability. To go with this thought, the pop that he got from the crowd when his Get Ready to Fly music came on was believable. This was a special moment for TNA, and quite honestly, I haven't seen a crowd reaction like that since TNA took their show on the road.

2. TNA already has a "lone wolf" character in the company. His name is Austin Aires, and to go with my previous thoughts, this character for Aires is believable. A double has no allegiance to anyone in TNA but himself and I never understood why TNA even wanted AJ to go this route. Aires plays this role to perfection.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think that was TNA's plan all along. I think this all comes from Angle's DWI stuff and him going to rehab. Creative sat down, decided they'll do this with AJ and they did. It's very sudden because they literally came up with it last week probably.

That's pretty much what I thought. AJ suddenly going back to a straight babyface, at least that's how it's looking right now, feels like a last minute booking decision brought about by Angle's latest legal troubles and heading into rehab. They took a look at the roster for someone who could hook up with the MEM that could make a real impact. TNA creative also has a love of wanting to pull surprises that people don't see coming, even if they aren't necessarily good ones. I think they could have gotten the same results if they'd have simply put Jeff Hardy in Angle's spot, but Styles being part of TNA from the beginning does give it some depth. Samoa Joe hasn't really been a majorly relevant star in TNA for years, Magnus has a lot of promise but he's not there yet, Sting's 54 years old & an established legend, Rampage is a 35 year old MMA fighter whose career is past its prime and on a downward slope.

The darker AJ Styles was fun for a while, but it got to be a little one dimensional after a while. The whole brooding loner bit can work for some wrestlers in the long term, but I don't see it with Styles. The character jumped the shark for me when he started talking about money during his interview segments.

"Do you think AJ will stay face? ...part of me thinks there's a slim chance he'll go back to "dark AJ" sometime before BfG."

It honestly wouldn't be all that surprising if look at how they seem to turn Austin Aries face, then back to a heel, then back to a face again without any rhyme or reason. Could they go this route? Unfortunately yes. It's unfortunate because TNA likes to pull out surprises or swerves sometimes for the sake of a surprise rather than if it makes any degree of sense.

 

[Peridot]

As much as it was a great moment and let's face it, it's AJ, he can pull it off - I don't like this.

Simply because they are trying to use AJ in this whole MEM bs. The concept of th MEM is gone and it's core has been ripped out. They literally could not have done it any worse if they actually tried to.

I know this is a bit of a rant but, bringing in rampage and Magnus into the MEM is just illogical. It's meant to be for past world champions, and TNA had a lot of past world champions rotting away at the time. What about Roode? Aries? Hardy? For gods sake this would have been perfect for storm, we all know his fall from grace.

Anyway back to AJ. He's a great face, and no doubt he'll make this work. But I'm not looking forward to seeing AJ put on a suit and join the mafia just to bolster their numbers and try to get the faction back over, when he was over by himself as the loner, this feels rushed and without a satisfying conclusion to the loner angle.

 

[SpecialFNK]

is AJ going to be part of MEM now and come out wearing a suit along with Sting/Joe/Magnus/Rampage? I don't think so, and I really hope he doesn't. I hope this was just AJ being used WITH MEM against Aces and Eights.
to go from dark AJ, to face AJ, to AJ IN MEM I think would be a mistake. I don't want to see AJ wearing a suit.
but I did like AJ coming face again and think it was the right time. it fits better I think to have a face AJ win the BFG series and wrestle heel Bully at BFG.
I didn't like the timing of the darker AJ. he was in the BFG series with a bunch of random matches with no story line or feuds.

 

[Kitten Cutter]

I actually was legitimately shocked when A.J. Styles came out, and was even more shocked when he reverted to his old self. I really did like the Darkside A.J. - the shirt, the black and grey look, the disenchanted look and much more deliberate style of wrestling; not many guys can change their style of wrestling so effectively, and I was enjoying his matches more.

I don't think he's joining the Main Event Mafia. I think it was a "get rid of Aces n' Eights" move and he couldn't help himself becoming a hero again. I think it also helps set-up Bound for Glory because now that Styles is the one that got rid of Devon, Bully Ray has a personal stake to go up against him, and it frees up the other 4 Mafia members (Sting, Rampage, Joe and Magnus) to have another tag match (maybe an Elimination match) vs. Anderson, Knux, Brisco and Bischoff...

Wow, that last part sounds awful...

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I definitely think this has happened sooner than it was initially intended to with Kurt Angle going to rehab, and the MEM needing another big name member. I did enjoy the idea of AJ playing the "lone wolf" character like Sting did back in 1997 vs the nWo, but it wasn't working as well as I hoped it would have, so I think bringing back the face AJ character with a bang was a great move on TNA's part.

I hope Styles (if he remains with TNA) goes on to win the World title at BFG, its been a long time since we have seen an AJ Styles TNA World Title reign, he deserves to be back at the top, a man of his talent should be in the world title scene and him beating the number 1 heel in the company in Bully Ray would be great to see.

You only have to look at the fan's reaction to AJ's old music hitting to see how much they love the guy and how they want him back as a good guy. Styles being champion once again would be a brilliant feel-good moment for the TNA fans who have had to put up with alot of crap lately from the company.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

AJ would be the perfect foil for Aces and Eights now ever since he has turned face once again making that transition from becoming a Lone Wolf into the Phenomenal AJ Styles once again helping The Mafia to take out Aces and Eights pinning Devon, AJ should be prime to win the Bound For Glory series and with AJ winning it he ends up going to BFG to face Bully Ray with Bully dropping the title to AJ and AJ once again becoming TNA World Heavyweight Champion because if anyone deserves a run with the title especially after all he's gone through it is definitely AJ

 

[MCMG]

I prefer this form of AJ. When his original music hit last week I started smiling. I much prefer seeing the AJ Styles that was so successful previously. Yes, he may become stale but I think AJ should just remain face. That storyline with that women/Daniels/Kaz was awful.

I'm happy to see him face and I would love if he won the world title at Bound for Glory. Hopefully, he doesn't become Samoa Joe from a few years ago where it just turns heel/face over an over again. I fear that he could turn heel on the Main Event Mafia.

 

[unknownvicelord5]

I for one hopes Aj is in mem. Remember the only world champ scenario was for the stuck up heel mem. The new mem the requirement is for the group or a group member recommends u. Different mem different rules.

 

[HBsam31]

I liked it in the moment. I actually cheered out loud which I seldom do. After thinking about it, it seemed a little rushed, and I tend to agree with the people that said they did it because of Angle's absence. I think he will stay face now as it really wouldn't make much sense to go back to "dark" AJ now. All in all I liked it, and it provided a mark out moment on Impact.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Plus if AJ were to join MEM then it would only be a matter of time before AJ gets kicked out of the group or the other group members turn on AJ which is why AJ should have stayed tweener staying in that Lone Wolf gimmick and why? Because AJ was actually entertaining but also seeing a dark AJ was a refreshing change too because AJ doesn't need a group or doesn't need to be in one to be over with the fans

He is already over

Like I mean the man is a legend already pretty much he is TNA's conscience their cornerstone and AJ he should win the BFG series

 

[HELLNOGAY]

aj is not in the MEM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjqwK6FpdiI

 

[IT Factor]

Although this may have been TNA's plan all along, I don't believe it was meant to happen this soon with AJ going back face. His dark character was getting good reaction and it made for interesting television on a show that doesn't offer many surprises anymore. Angle's DUI was probably the main reason TNA had to accelerate their plans with Styles, which is understandable. And after the promo Styles delivered on Impact tonight, it looks like this storyline will be just as interesting to see where it ends up. AJ has kind of been the unofficial face of TNA since the very beginning and the payoff to all of this should be AJ Styles regaining the TNA World Title.

But with the inconsistent quality of TNA lately, that may be unlikely especially with all the speculation on contract negotiations with Styles/TNA once his current deal expires. If TNA allowed Styles' contract to expire and not resign him, that could be one of the final nails in that company's inevitable coffin. Losing Styles would be a major blow to TNA and I'm not sure they could come up with anyone to replace him. I hope I am wrong and all will work out with Styles & TNA and his future as TNA Champion. I am skeptical though considering how naïve and oblivious Dixie Carter seems to be.

 

[JulesWagner]

I don't think that was TNA's plan all along. I think this all comes from Angle's DWI stuff and him going to rehab. Creative sat down, decided they'll do this with AJ and they did. It's very sudden because they literally came up with it last week probably.

That is actually very TNA. Especially right now. Pull something out of your ass, fling it against the wall and see if it sticks. Did Angle really force their hand? Bah! They never could write psychology to save their motherf&^%ing lives anyway! So, Dark Age Styles had no real chance unless AJ had natural talent in acting which he doesn't. I love the guy but he's no thespian. So.... back to square one point one because AJ just made it a point to cut a promo that bordered on a shoot! Telling the world what he should have been telling a while ago. It'll interesting to see along the way. One point of interest along a dreary, boring, repetitive landscape of TNA programming...

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I haven't been a fan of The Lone Wolf character. It was nothing to do with WCW and Sting comparisons at all, but this "No One" shit has been driving me nuts. My main problem is, the fans CLEARLY want to see AJ as a face. Listen to the pop, when his "Get Ready To Fly" music hit during the impact (two weeks ago?), where he filled in for Angle in the MEM VS Aces & Eights tag match. And you can say the same thing about this past Thursday's Impact before AJ cut that terrible, terrible promo. The fans want to embrace him, love him, and cheer for him.

But how are they supposed to do that, when he's constantly whining about everything? I know, that's supposed to be the point of the character. AJ is tired of being a company man, and he only gives a damn about himself. But you don't go against what the fans want, and the fans clearly want a face AJ Styles.

I give AJ all the credit in the world for putting 110% of his heart and soul into this new character, but the character itself is just so awful. He's always complaining, and his constant teases between turning heel and face have passed the point of intrigue. It's just annoying as shit now.

With Angle out of the picture for a while, I would hope TNA decides to turn AJ face to fill the void in MEM. The Lone Wolf character has run its course, and it's time for a change.