Is AJ Styles Being Underutilized By TNA?

[ArcticMonkeys]

In my opinion yes. AJ Styles ever since the year started have been underutilized by TNA.
Compared to his match records in past years, this year it's horrid. I feel AJ Styles should have gone over in the match against Gunner, he's
been putting to many stars over recently.Gunner, Bully Ray at Slammiversary and Tommy Dreamer at Sacrifice. So I don't
understand why he's booked so weak this year. Also the finish for the match was cheap.
Overall I just wish TNA would re-utilize AJ Styles again.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Should he be on top of the world, raping everybody and being booked like a Superhero on Superhero steroids? No.

Should he be featured more on the show whether it's promos or matches? Yes.

AJ Styles is phenomenal. No doubt about it. Just one AJ match can get someone hooked on TNA, even just a little bit. Even if it's just AJ. That's how good the guy is.

Hopefully things will turn around for him and we'll see him more. That's my only plea and maybe I'm biased, maybe I'm an AJ mark. Either way, I want to see more of AJ.

Does that mean, however, that he's underused? Yes, depending on how you use that word. Underused could mean exactly what I just said. Not used enough. But some might think of it as "used badly", and I disagree with that.

AJ's been used the way Jericho was used. He put people over in amazing matches while still looking good. The only difference is there are no titles and he's not used as much as Jericho.

When they use him they use him just fine. It's not like it's any worse than previous years. Lackey to Flair, just another guy in The Frontline, weak heel run, X-Division for life. Now he's the unofficial leader of Fourtune, had a memorable feud against Bully Ray topped off with a sweet match. Then came his awesome bout with Daniels which will escalate in a Daniels - AJ feud which should be (pun intended) phenomenal.

AJ's becoming a more serious wrestler and I like that direction. I just wish we'd see more of it.

---------------------------------------------------------​

Now as far as him losing, before I address that I'll address the OP. This is clearly a neat little way for you to vent your frustrations and that's fine by me. But please, next time don't start a thread just so you can spotlight your opinion on something so more people could see it. There's a complaints section for that. No need to start a whole thread about it.

About his losses now.

- He put Gunner over. Uh, no he didn't. Gunner and him have been going back and forth with their wins and losses in the BFG series, and I believe he just beat Gunner on a house show. This doesn't make AJ look weak at all. Gunner's the same guy who beat Anderson AND Sting back to back. AJ's slugging it out with him toe to toe. Do the math.

- He put Bully Ray over and the finish was cheap. Yes, the finish was cheap, that's why it's so good. Bully Ray has been AMAZING for months now. He deserves this and even more. And AJ didn't look weak here either. AJ looked like a million bucks, destroyed Bully Ray who was calling him a kid and everything and Bully cheated his way out of it like good heels do. AJ looks great, Bully Ray looks like a cheating asshole. Win/Win. Don't forget Bully's comments after his match. "God that kid's tough. I think he's hurt now. I don't know if he's coming after me" - with subtle fear in his eyes. Is that weak? No sir.

- He "put over" Dreamer. Well, not exactly. Sure, Dreamer won, no doubt. But AJ had an injured neck so it's possible for him to lose to people he wouldn't normally lose to, just like Robert Roode is losing to a lot of people, or WAS losing, and is now on a killing spree. Simple.

- And then he got into a match with Daniels and came out on top after a grueling match. He once again looks strong.

So no, AJ doesn't look weak, not when you use your brain and think. TNA has been very smart, actually, in the way they use him. He puts people over but at the same time doesn't look bad and he's still over as he always was.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Obviously AJ Styles is being underutilized by TNA. He is by far and away the most talented guy on the roster, he should be the John Cena of that company, but instead he's jobbing to Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray, and some unknown dude known as Gunner. That would be like John Cena losing to Hacksaw Jim Duggan or Yoshi Tatsu. If Styles is not holding the major hardware, or at least contending for it, he's being misused and underutilized.

The question is, how long before he tires of jobbing in oblivion? If he's going to be a major player, he's probably content to remain on Spike. But if he's going to continue to job, wouldn't he be better served doing so on a bigger stage, for bigger money, in front of a bigger audience, elsewhere?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Speaking as a huge AJ Styles fan, he is not the most talented guy on that roster. Talent encompasses more than just in-ring ability. Personality, charisma and character all matter, and AJ is hurting in all of those fields at the moment. He's not dead in the water by any means, but he's not the "most talented" there either, which means he's not the most talented guy on the roster.

Kurt Angle is the most talented guy on the roster, age be damned. He has the personality, the charisma, the in-ring ability, the work rate and the character. He has it all.

As to whether or not he's being underutilized? Yes, of course he is, but that's what happens when you're dropped from the main event scene. Not everyone who "is worthy" of being a main event player can be a main event player at once. Things have been crowded up there for the the last year within TNA, so it's understandable to drop a guy down a peg or two, but not having him wear gold is hurting him plenty.

A lot of this attitude toward how to treat him would be drastically different if he were given the TV Title or the X Division title and given a healthy run with either.

 

[Dizzy]

Obviously AJ Styles is being underutilized by TNA. He is by far and away the most talented guy on the roster, he should be the John Cena of that company, but instead he's jobbing to Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray, and some unknown dude known as Gunner. That would be like John Cena losing to Hacksaw Jim Duggan or Yoshi Tatsu. If Styles is not holding the major hardware, or at least contending for it, he's being misused and underutilized.

This is why I cannot stand this forum at times. He's being underutilized? How?

He should be the John Cena of TNA? Booked as a guy who never losses a match?

Gunner is an unknown guy? That's the idiotic thing I've heard yet. You want TNA to push younger guys but you disrespect the ones they push. Go figure.

AJ Styles IS NOT the John Cena of TNA because Cena has a personality, mic skills and marketability. AJ Styles does not. The End.

The question is, how long before he tires of jobbing in oblivion? If he's going to be a major player, he's probably content to remain on Spike. But if he's going to continue to job, wouldn't he be better served doing so on a bigger stage, for bigger money, in front of a bigger audience, elsewhere?

He's jobbing? Since when? He lost ONE time to Dreamer, ONE time to Ray, ONE time to Gunner. How the fuck is that Jobbing?

He's under contract until 2014. How the fuck is he going to WWE?

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Obviously AJ Styles is being underutilized by TNA. He is by far and away the most talented guy on the roster, he should be the John Cena of that company, but instead he's jobbing to Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray, and some unknown dude known as Gunner. That would be like John Cena losing to Hacksaw Jim Duggan or Yoshi Tatsu. If Styles is not holding the major hardware, or at least contending for it, he's being misused and underutilized.

The question is, how long before he tires of jobbing in oblivion? If he's going to be a major player, he's probably content to remain on Spike. But if he's going to continue to job, wouldn't he be better served doing so on a bigger stage, for bigger money, in front of a bigger audience, elsewhere?

Maybe you haven't heard, but AJ Styles has only been in the Main Event scene for a fraction of his career. I'm talking as a singles guy contending for the World Title, whichever it might be at that time. So if he's fine working in the mid-card and the X-Division for about 10 years, what makes you think he'll just give up now? If AJ wanted out of TNA for being "misused" he would've quit a long time ago.

How many times did he "job" (that word's being thrown around like it's nothing) to Samoa Joe? Did AJ end his streak? Absolutely not. He lost to Double J, he lost to Raven, he lost to Killings, he lost to RVD, lost to Daniels, he lost to Sting, he lost to Kevin Nash, lost to Doug Williams and yet he's still in TNA. His career is still alive. HOW?!

99% of the time when Styles loses it's because of something else like kayfabe injury or interference. Styles rarely loses squaky clean.

Styles turned down the WWE because he didn't want to have his wife move with him and trip her career plans. Now he's been married for years, has three children which he cares deeply about, a stable position in TNA, earning a lot more than he used to I'm sure ( he didn't sign that contract until 2013 for pennies ) and actually has time for his family.

And you think he'd give that up for a "bigger stage", a bigger crowd and more money? Newsflash, TNA is going to start performing infront of bigger crowds this summer so AJ will get that. The stage will be bigger too and so will the money. That's what happens when a company grows. Everyone's wallet gets thicker. So he'll pack his toys and leave just because he lost a few matches but is STILL used in storylines and is on just about every single PPV? Why? To go and have McMahon tarnish everything he is? Like he did with Kaval? Like Chris Harriss? Like Monty Brown? Like Gail Kim? Styles is a smaller guy, and while amazing in the ring, he can't talk much. Styles means a lot to TNA and TNA means a lot to Styles. WWE on the other hand couldn't care less if he looks good, and would I'm sure prefer to job him to everyone regardless of his talent (lord knows they never cared about that one) just to stick it in TNA's face. They don't care about TNA? They're not competition. I agree, but why do we have SmackDown and RAW commercials during IW then? Makes you wonder.

Please pluck your head out of McMahon's ass. Read my previous post for some illumination, too.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Speaking as a huge AJ Styles fan, he is not the most talented guy on that roster. Talent encompasses more than just in-ring ability. Personality, charisma and character all matter, and AJ is hurting in all of those fields at the moment. He's not dead in the water by any means, but he's not the "most talented" there either, which means he's not the most talented guy on the roster.

Kurt Angle is the most talented guy on the roster, age be damned. He has the personality, the charisma, the in-ring ability, the work rate and the character. He has it all.

As to whether or not he's being underutilized? Yes, of course he is, but that's what happens when you're dropped from the main event scene. Not everyone who "is worthy" of being a main event player can be a main event player at once. Things have been crowded up there for the the last year within TNA, so it's understandable to drop a guy down a peg or two, but not having him wear gold is hurting him plenty.

A lot of this attitude toward how to treat him would be drastically different if he were given the TV Title or the X Division title and given a healthy run with either.

See, this is why I enjoy discussing TNA with you more so than most of the other TNA people on these forums, because you can discuss things rationally without over-reacting to anything which can be misconstrued as being anti-TNA, without getting insulted and defensive about a post which others over react to. That's why I tend to forgive you when you start trolling in the WWE LD's, like you did last night

All I am saying is that Styles should be the face of the company as he is the best wrestler they have at this time. All due respect to Angle, but he's clearly on the way down and cannot carry the company anymore. Styles, on the other hand, should still be on the way up. Even with his limitations in terms of charisma or mic skills (which it is refreshing to see an admitted TNA mark admit to), he should still be a focal point of the company.

When I say he should be their John Cena, that doesn't necessarily mean being champion forever. But you can be a focal point even if you are not at the top. Losing to Tommy freaking Dreamer, in 2011, does nothing for the company, and nothing for Styles personally. Same can be said for Bully Ray, even though in all honesty, he's been decent lately. Losing to Gunner may be OK if they think he has potential, although I'm far from convinced of this.

I would like to see AJ as a TNA original become their heavyweight champion, defending the title against former WWE guys such as Angle, Anderson, even Hardy, etc., Languishing in the mid card in the "minor leagues" has toe seen as underutilization, how can it not be? That's not even a TNA bash, despite what the oversensitivity of others may suggest, but rather, just statement lf an opinion that seems obvious to me.

 

[Dizzy]

All I am saying is that Styles should be the face of the company as he is the best wrestler they have at this time. All due respect to Angle, but he's clearly on the way down and cannot carry the company anymore. Styles, on the other hand, should still be on the way up. Even with his limitations in terms of charisma or mic skills (which it is refreshing to see an admitted TNA mark admit to), he should still be a focal point of the company.

Just because he is the best wrestler doesn't mean he has the tools to carry a company. That's something the IWC simply doesn't get. It's sad.

CM Punk's storyline hasn't drawn a high rating yet and he is the best wrestler on Monday Night Raw.

AJ Style's last Championship run in 09 failed ratings wise. Each match or segment he wrestled in on Impact drew an 0.9 or 1.0, every other segment drew a 1.3 or a 1.2

You CANNOT put anyone who can't talk or has zero charisma being the focal point of a company. This isn't ROH.

When I say he should be their John Cena, that doesn't necessarily mean being champion forever. But you can be a focal point even if you are not at the top. Losing to Tommy freaking Dreamer, in 2011, does nothing for the company, and nothing for Styles personally. Same can be said for Bully Ray, even though in all honesty, he's been decent lately. Losing to Gunner may be OK if they think he has potential, although I'm far from convinced of this.

It's quite clear, "the John Cena of TNA" will be created at Bound For Glory. Crimson, Roode, Storm all have the tools to be that guy.

Me, Personally. I want to see Austin Aries be the face of TNA but as a heel.

Jeff Hardy was that guy and he ruined it for himself. Anderson put his foot in his mouth by saying "Fuck wrestling, I'm done when my contract is up in 5 years" You can't really fault TNA for looking at all angles at guys to push.

Gunner has a great look, good size, he can wrestle. He simply needs to speak more and be put in a long feud. Samething with Crimson.

I would like to see AJ as a TNA original become their heavyweight champion, defending the title against former WWE guys such as Angle, Anderson, even Hardy, etc., Languishing in the mid card in the "minor leagues" has toe seen as underutilization, how can it not be? That's not even a TNA bash, despite what the oversensitivity of others may suggest, but rather, just statement lf an opinion that seems obvious to me.

You do realize CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Shawn Micheals have all been World Champions and still worked midcard, right?

Not every guy has to be at the top of the list. RVD came in, won the belt. Now, he's in the midcard.

Unlike WWE, TNA actually has an order of guys who get main event pushes.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

See, this is why I enjoy discussing TNA with you more so than most of the other TNA people on these forums, because you can discuss things rationally without over-reacting to anything which can be misconstrued as being anti-TNA, without getting insulted and defensive about a post which others over react to. That's why I tend to forgive you when you start trolling in the WWE LD's, like you did last night

HA! It's been ages since I've done it, I figured I would test my old waters again. Funny part about it? Not a single red rep. I'm losing my touch...

All I am saying is that Styles should be the face of the company as he is the best wrestler they have at this time. All due respect to Angle, but he's clearly on the way down and cannot carry the company anymore. Styles, on the other hand, should still be on the way up. Even with his limitations in terms of charisma or mic skills (which it is refreshing to see an admitted TNA mark admit to), he should still be a focal point of the company.

I don't really agree, though. That's like saying Rey Mysterio should have been the face of WCW because he put on the best matches. Being the best wrestler does not necessarily equate being the best case scenario for being the "face" of a company. Styles simply lacks the overt charisma and character that guys like Angle and Sting have, and for that reason alone he'll never be the "face" of the company. Cena, on the flip side of that coin, oozes charisma and character. That's why he's the face, despite all the complaints about him not being that great of a wrestler.

I realize Angle/Sting can't carry the company much longer, but that's why TNA is throwing guys like Crimson, Roode, Gunner and even Styles into more prominent roles in the near future, as sooner than later the guys who have been carrying the company (Sting and Angle) will be retiring or taking lesser roles, and it'll be up to the next generation stars to carry the brand. The same happened with Nash to a lesser extent when he left, too.

I don't deny Styles should be a focal point, but he should not be the focal point, IMO. Just in important factor. Not the hinge the entire company swings on. They need a much more entertaining (out of the ring) star for that.

When I say he should be their John Cena, that doesn't necessarily mean being champion forever. But you can be a focal point even if you are not at the top. Losing to Tommy freaking Dreamer, in 2011, does nothing for the company, and nothing for Styles personally. Same can be said for Bully Ray, even though in all honesty, he's been decent lately. Losing to Gunner may be OK if they think he has potential, although I'm far from convinced of this.

Dreamer I can agree with, but not with Ray. The Ray feud helped to put over Ray as a major, main event-type player that they've been building him into.

I would like to see AJ as a TNA original become their heavyweight champion, defending the title against former WWE guys such as Angle, Anderson, even Hardy, etc., Languishing in the mid card in the "minor leagues" has toe seen as underutilization, how can it not be? That's not even a TNA bash, despite what the oversensitivity of others may suggest, but rather, just statement lf an opinion that seems obvious to me.

He's not "languishing", dude. That's the thing. That's where the overreaction is coming in on your part. He's not being utilized to his potential, but he's far from "jobbing" every week and going absolutely no where. He's still featured in a prominent feud/match on every PPV and still at the forefront of the Immortal/Fortune feud.

Heavyweight champions, however, have to draw. As much as I love seeing AJ win and wear that title belt, he wasn't a draw the first time around, and it may take a while before he becomes one. He lacks the natural charisma and character that help make up for in-ring short-comings other more marketable stars have like Ken Anderson. Styles is very much like a Jeff Hardy in that respect.

 

[Zaiger]

Isnt that what TNA does though? They sign wrestlers on and done let them entertain?

 

[TheEraOfAwesomeIsHere126]

tna needs to build the company around AJ. they need to let him be the cena of tna. hes the best guy they got in the company with angle coming in a close second. tna needs to build the company round these 2 and dont get me wrong i like sting but hes passed it, its Unbelievable now, a 51 year old world champion really? AJ needs the strap

 

[JJYanks121]

Yes isn't a strong enough answer here.

Back in 2009, you literally had the perfect story as the guy who got a fluke title run a a kid worked for 6 years to get back to that point. Every "bigger name" that was brought in got the spotlight while AJ Styles was the workhorse of the company. After 6 long years though, he was the champion, and at TNA's Wrestlemania, he was put over by the Icon, Sting. This moment SHOULD have put him over as the face of TNA, the moneymaker of the company, the guy you put out there to do interviews and promotion, etc.

For whatever reason, this fantastic storyline was derailed the second "everything changed". By that I mean January 4, 2010. Rather than find an up and comer to manage, Ric Flair is paired with a guy who doesn't need a manager as he WAS ALREADY CHAMPION AND BEATING PEOPLE CLEAN! Thus, the beginning of the end of AJ Styles was here.

Raise your hand if you thought turning Styles heel was a good idea? It wasn't. This is the problem with bringing in a new regime the way they did. In no way did this new regime care what was already there and what work was already put in to building workers and characters. It all went to the wayside and a "new direction" was born. Unfortunately, AJ Styles was probably the one who suffered most from it.

First, he's turned heel even though he never needed to be a heel. He was beating people just fine and looking believable in doing it, so a heel turn didn't help his career or title run any. Some will claim that he benefited from teaming with Flair as he learned mic skills, but I say bullshit. Flair could help the guy backstage if he wants to be a help. He did not have to manage him on screen and have him dress and act like Flair. Just AJ Styles was doing quite fine.

Now as a heel, his title run starts getting lame. I'm almost inclined to think that was the plan. Styles wasn't seen as a moneymaker by the "new regime", so they tried to pair him with a "moneymaker" in their eyes in Flair, but when he wasn't a good Flair clone, he quickly lost the belt with no build to RVD on Impact. Some will say "well his title reign is the longest in history", which is true, but half of it was as a babyface before the new regime got there, then within 3 months of those guys getting there, he was a cowardly heel losing on Impact to RVD. And then it gets worse.

While Fortune could have been a really cool idea on its own as the preeminent heel group in TNA, it was never to be. For whatever reason, Immortal's grandeur of suck was more important. Before Immortal, you had Flair talking about reforming the 4 Horsemen, but as Fortune. It was a solid idea but executed incredibly poorly. It needed to be 4 guys from the beginning but it never was. Had it been 4 elite choices (the current 4 not including Daniels would be perfect) and those 4 found a way to dominate TNA for a while, it would have been great. Each guy had the talent to dominate and with AJ as the leader and main eventer, maybe then he could have been a much better, less Flair-like heel champion. Still not a fan of AJ as a heel, but as the leader of Fortune, it might have worked.

Instead, Bound For Glory comes and the mighty Fortune is defeated.........by a bunch of washed up ECDubya dudes. At the biggest Pay Per View of the year, AJ Styles is pinned by Tommy Dreamer to lose for his team.

It gets worse.

Later that night, rather than a talented AJ Styles who leads a talented group of heel wrestlers, Immortal is formed and Jeff Hardy's unmotivated ass becomes champion. The "takeover" is complete and a new heel group is born. Maybe, just maybe, Fortune could challenge them and quickly show them (and fans) that Fortune is the better group. Nope.

The next Impact, Fortune simply joins up with Immortal to make a supergroup, essentially burying both groups in the process already. Really, when's the last time a "supergroup" really worked? Say the nWo if you want, but the second it expanded past being an elite group of just a few wrestlers, it lost its luster. Guys like Scott Norton, Stevie Ray, etc. did nothing to enhance that group. We all know that the nWo was at its best with the original 3 and MAYBE Syxx, and only because that was when Ted Dibiase was with them as the financeer.

Anyway, getting back to topic, Fortune was now just a bunch of lackeys to Immortal, doing the dirty work and being underappreciated. Ironically, it was Fortune who was winning belts for the group, not the rest of the crap that was "recruited" to form the original (for one night) group. Kaz was X-Division champ, Beer Money were Tag Champs and AJ...........wasn't able to win the midcard belt back from Doug Williams. Still, it wasn't like Abyss was winning anything and Jeff Hardy's main events were crapfests from the second he won the belt.

By some grace of g-d, at least for AJ Styles, Kevin Nash and Booker decided against coming back to TNA and instead appeared at the Royal Rumble for the WWE. This led to last minute storyline changes and instead of the mega-ultra-superfaction Immortal going against the Main Event Mafia, Immortal was now going against.........Fortune!

This would be the time to use a freshly babyface AJ Styles to get back to the main event and take the title from Jeff Hardy right? If you said yes, you haven't been paying attention to the trend.

Fortune looked awesome for a show or two as they would combat Immortal, but the issues were always "above" wrestling. Thus, off screen court cases and "networks" and things were more important. Hell, getting Sting back was more important as he came back and beat Jeff Hardy in less than 10 minutes!

Instead of getting back to that main event which the fans seemed to want, Styles was taken out for a few weeks by Bully Ray, a brilliant move by TNA as it took AJ off the card for their second biggest show of the year, Lockdown. I know he showed up, but on your second biggest PPV, I'd think you would want to promote your best wrestler, you know, WRESTLING! Again, not important. So naturally this blunder would lead to AJ beating Bully Ray and moving up by the next PPV right? HAHAHAH

Next PPV he loses to Tommy Dreamer because of Bully Ray. Fine, but that means he'll just kick Ray's ass when he finally gets him at the next PPV right? Wrong. Say what you want about "it doesn't hurt him" with these losses, but at what point does he get to win?

This all brings us to today. AJ is in the BFG series which is a lose/lose situation for him. If he loses it, he's being passed over for some new guy like Crimson who is nowhere near ready and nowhere near the talent that AJ Styles is, but if he wins and goes on to win at BFG? It would be great, but that's basically an admittance of stupidity by TNA brass. They had that exact story TWO YEARS AGO! It would be nice to see it happen where a babyface triumphs at the biggest PPV, but why shit on the guy for two years after he already got that treatment only to give it to him again. It's basically them saying that nothing mattered before 1/4/2010 which is total bullshit.

The moral of the story is that from the moment the "new regime" started, AJ Styles has been poorly utilized. I'm not sure if I'd say underutilized because he hasn't really gone away or anything, but he certainly has been used like utter crap. I base most of that on 7 years of hard work and dedication for the company going down the tubes in a matter of months. It was pathetic and embarassing for Styles and it never made any sense. I feel that Styles in the main event of a show is basically better than anyone you can think of, and even if he's not an all-time great on the mic, he is competent enough to hold is own in any main event feud. I feel that AJ Styles has been shit on over the past 18 months or so, but that's just one man's opinion. That said, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in thinking this.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

Yea AJ Styles probably is being underutilized at this moment in time. But like I said in the 'RVD is being underutilized' thread, 80% of TNA's roster could be considered as being underutilized at any given moment. That's just the problem TNA have, too much talent and not enough TV time. It's not like the WWE where if Cena and Orton are being pushed the talent is being used to its fullest.

And I honestly can't understand why some people have suggested he should be TNA's Cena. John Cena being constantly pushed is one of the main gripes a lot of people have with WWEs programming. TNA would be stupid to put all their eggs in one basket. AJ has main evented in TNA for years and it's time for some other guys to be given a go. Yea I'd like AJ to be a focal point of the show but if that comes at the expense of every other guy on the roster then I'll have to pass.

There's no doubting AJ is exactly what he's billed as, the Phenomenal One. But you have to understand that a wrestling promotion is a lot more fun to watch if they have a handful of stars rather than just one or two. And due to AJ being pushed down the card a little bit we've seen the likes of Mr Anderson, Gunner, Bully Ray etc emerge from the shadows, thus making iMPACT Wrestling a much more enjoyable show.

 

[hatehabsforever]

HA! It's been ages since I've done it, I figured I would test my old waters again. Funny part about it? Not a single red rep. I'm losing my touch...

Careful now, it's a bannable offense to admit to deliberately trolling on these forums. Plus, you really need to be more courteous to all of us WWE fanboys, it's not like any of us would do such things on any Thursday night LD's

I don't really agree, though. That's like saying Rey Mysterio should have been the face of WCW because he put on the best matches. Being the best wrestler does not necessarily equate being the best case scenario for being the "face" of a company. Styles simply lacks the overt charisma and character that guys like Angle and Sting have, and for that reason alone he'll never be the "face" of the company. Cena, on the flip side of that coin, oozes charisma and character. That's why he's the face, despite all the complaints about him not being that great of a wrestler.

It's not the same thing at all. There's no way Mysterio should have been the face of WCW back then, especially with so many other better guys who were better equipped to do so, guys who were still in their primes. You guys having been telling me for months how much better AJ is getting on the mic, how much he has been improving in the charisma department. What he lacks in overt charisma, he more than compensates for in his in ring ability and ever improving character. In giving him the ball and letting him run with it, they can produce the next superstar, someone to build the company around. Instead, he's mired in the mid card, losing to guys who should not even be in the ring with him, especially in this decade. I guess it is better than lurking in Flair's shadow, but it's nowhere near the prominence he should have.

I realize Angle/Sting can't carry the company much longer, but that's why TNA is throwing guys like Crimson, Roode, Gunner and even Styles into more prominent roles in the near future, as sooner than later the guys who have been carrying the company (Sting and Angle) will be retiring or taking lesser roles, and it'll be up to the next generation stars to carry the brand. The same happened with Nash to a lesser extent when he left, too.

I'm all for pushing Crimson, Roode, even Gunner, but not at the expense of Styles. Remains to be seen if it will work or not, but I'm a believer in trying to find the next generation to replace their aging roster. Pushing Styles into "more prominent roles in the near future", that's exactly what I'm talking about, I'm just not seeing any evidence of it happening.

Sting and Angle taking lesser roles in the company? Sure, right after Hogan and Flair do so. As long as these guys continue to overshadow AJ Styles, he will continue to be underutilized, that's all I'm saying.

I don't deny Styles should be a focal point, but he should not be the focal point, IMO. Just in important factor. Not the hinge the entire company swings on. They need a much more entertaining (out of the ring) star for that.

He shouldn't be the only focal point, but he should be the crown jewel of the company. Right now, he's not a focal point at all, he's a mid carder in mid card feuds for mid card belts. And that's a shame and the textbook definition of underutilization.

Dreamer I can agree with, but not with Ray. The Ray feud helped to put over Ray as a major, main event-type player that they've been building him into.

Of course you agree with Dreamer, no one could argue that with a straight face, not even Zeven_Zion. The fact that you suggest that Bubba Ray Dudley is a "major, main event-type player" in 2011, while AJ Styles isn't, is exactly the type of underutilization I am referring to.

He's not "languishing", dude. That's the thing. That's where the overreaction is coming in on your part. He's not being utilized to his potential, but he's far from "jobbing" every week and going absolutely no where. He's still featured in a prominent feud/match on every PPV and still at the forefront of the Immortal/Fortune feud.

He is languishing. There's no overreaction. As a fairly casual TNA viewer, I am usually aware of who's involved with whom, but as a general rule of thumb, I often don't even know what Styles is up to. Rather than me tuning in to see Styles in a prominent feud, I am instead subjected to lesser guys taking his spot. Underutilizatioin.

Heavyweight champions, however, have to draw. As much as I love seeing AJ win and wear that title belt, he wasn't a draw the first time around, and it may take a while before he becomes one. He lacks the natural charisma and character that help make up for in-ring short-comings other more marketable stars have like Ken Anderson. Styles is very much like a Jeff Hardy in that respect.

All due respect, in a perfect world, heavyweight champions have to draw but let's face it, no one is drawing squat in TNA anyway, so I don't really see the problem here. TNA is mired in the 1.1 to 1.3 range anyway, I'm sure they will continue to do this without Styles as champ, and would continue to do so if he was the main event. But by pushing a homegrown guy as a bonafide superstar and credible champion, they could have the potential to turn the corner. Dare I say it, but he could vault them all the way to a lofty 1.4 all by himself. Because if he can't do it, I serious doubt if Ken Anderson or Matt Morgan can.

 

[UnBEARaBULLfan]

Yeah I feel that he is underutilized, he is a great wrestler, not so good on the mic but his wrestling ability makes up for that. To me the way they underutilize him is by not having him in a match each week, whether it's a singles, tag, triple threat, fourway he is that guy they need to capitalize on in the ring and sell their wrestling matters moto. They could always lighten his house show schedual for a period of time so he doesn't get worn out.

The man has great/good matches with whoever they put him in the ring with whether he wins or looses, he has that ability to make others look good in the ring without making himself look bad.

From the match he had on tv and from the highlights of other matches I've seen of him with Gunner they have been good quality matches and in my opinion helped elevate Gunner. I like Crimson and I would like to see him and AJ have some matches during this BFG series and maybe he could help give Crimson some credibility with alot of other fans.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Careful now, it's a bannable offense to admit to deliberately trolling on these forums. Plus, you really need to be more courteous to all of us WWE fanboys, it's not like any of us would do such things on any Thursday night LD's

LMAO. I wasn't actually trolling. I was told his promo was a "can't miss". Dunno if that was official or not, but I read on another forum that it was being reported as such, so I figured I'd give it a go.

It's not the same thing at all. There's no way Mysterio should have been the face of WCW back then, especially with so many other better guys who were better equipped to do so, guys who were still in their primes. You guys having been telling me for months how much better AJ is getting on the mic, how much he has been improving in the charisma department. What he lacks in overt charisma, he more than compensates for in his in ring ability and ever improving character. In giving him the ball and letting him run with it, they can produce the next superstar, someone to build the company around. Instead, he's mired in the mid card, losing to guys who should not even be in the ring with him, especially in this decade. I guess it is better than lurking in Flair's shadow, but it's nowhere near the prominence he should have.

Yes, it is, because Mysterio, like Styles, lacks the charisma and personality to be a top dog in a company no matter how entertaining his matches.

It was a hypothetical situation, anyway. I could have used a number of names in place of him — Bret Hart, Chris Benoit, etc. All were fantastic mat technicians and in-ring performers, but all lacked the personality element required to take a star and make them a superstar.

I'm all for pushing Crimson, Roode, even Gunner, but not at the expense of Styles. Remains to be seen if it will work or not, but I'm a believer in trying to find the next generation to replace their aging roster. Pushing Styles into "more prominent roles in the near future", that's exactly what I'm talking about, I'm just not seeing any evidence of it happening.

Sting and Angle taking lesser roles in the company? Sure, right after Hogan and Flair do so. As long as these guys continue to overshadow AJ Styles, he will continue to be underutilized, that's all I'm saying.

Hogan and Flair have taken lesser roles. You'd know that if you were watching. Flair isn't even on television right now and hasn't been for months. Hogan is involved in a battle with Sting, but he's not nearly as dominant in every other segment as he was when he first stepped in back in January of 2010.

You're my boy, dude, but this is rhetorical arguing, and you know it. You're not even basing it off of a program you watch anymore. Now you're getting into my territory!

He shouldn't be the only focal point, but he should be the crown jewel of the company. Right now, he's not a focal point at all, he's a mid carder in mid card feuds for mid card belts. And that's a shame and the textbook definition of underutilization.

That's the same thing, man. You keep finding new ways of saying the same thing, but it just won't happen until Styles wakes up and discovers a major, major personality change. You being upset about it won't change the fact that it's the right decision.

I adore AJ, but even I know his limits, and they hit short of "face of the franchise" or "crowned jewel".

Of course you agree with Dreamer, no one could argue that with a straight face, not even Zeven_Zion. The fact that you suggest that Bubba Ray Dudley is a "major, main event-type player" in 2011, while AJ Styles isn't, is exactly the type of underutilization I am referring to.

AJ is a face. Ray is a heel. Apples and oranges. They had no heel main eventers not named Anderson, and even he was only a tweener, not a full-blown heel.

He is languishing. There's no overreaction. As a fairly casual TNA viewer, I am usually aware of who's involved with whom, but as a general rule of thumb, I often don't even know what Styles is up to. Rather than me tuning in to see Styles in a prominent feud, I am instead subjected to lesser guys taking his spot. Underutilizatioin.

Underutilization ≠ languish. You are using too strong of words to define a situation as being more dire than it actually is. Same as the people who say he's "jobbing". You're marginalizing powerful words to make your statement more impacting, but it's not a true depiction of reality.

All due respect, in a perfect world, heavyweight champions have to draw but let's face it, no one is drawing squat in TNA anyway, so I don't really see the problem here. TNA is mired in the 1.1 to 1.3 range anyway, I'm sure they will continue to do this without Styles as champ, and would continue to do so if he was the main event. But by pushing a homegrown guy as a bonafide superstar and credible champion, they could have the potential to turn the corner. Dare I say it, but he could vault them all the way to a lofty 1.4 all by himself. Because if he can't do it, I serious doubt if Ken Anderson or Matt Morgan can.

Also false. Anderson/Angle drew the highest quarterly rating of the night last week and Angle's segments period have always been some of, if not the, highest drawing angles on Impact Wrestling.

This is more rhetoric argument.

Being in a 1.1-1.3 range ≠ inability to draw. You are still talking about millions of viewers, and thousands of fans in any given city paying to see the man wrestle.

I'll put it to you this way... if you had an average TNA card for a house show where Angle/Sting was the main event or AJ/Daniels, who do you think is gonna draw more? Sorry as you may be to hear it, but more people are likely to pay to see Angle/Sting because of the history the two men have in this industry. Names sell. AJ Styles doesn't have one (yet).

 

[three count bout]

Great points made both ways guys. From a storyline perspective AJ doesn't need to be near the top of the card. The top faces ATM are Sting and Angle and they will continue to be at least in the immediate future. Here's the thing though, at ANY TIME IW, can put AJ styles in the main event without much explanation, he isn't buried or forgotten. I believe the landscape of IW will change after BFG this year and even if AJ still isn't fighting for the title he can still be used effectively to help get other talent over and fuel storylines and Bully Ray is a prime example of that.

The company has already tried the AJ experiment he was given the ball and the results were so-so. I personally liked AJ as champ, face or heel albeit not dressed like Flair he had a good run and he simply couldn't be champ forever. IW doesn't have a Cena type guy (nobody does) just yet and that's OK. They have royalty in Angle and Sting and those guys won't be here forever either. Any underutilizing to me would be not booking him in quality matches, its not necessarily about whats on the line in said matches. Any week he can fight nearly anybody on the roster and put on great matches, and make others look good if he's not doing that he's being wasted.

It Will take more than one guy to help IW, and Aj needs to be a strong piece of the puzzle as opposed to the whole solution. AJ is the centerpiece of the company hence why were having this discussion he's already the face of IW for most people win, lose or draw.

 

[Dizzy]

You guys having been telling me for months how much better AJ is getting on the mic, how much he has been improving in the charisma department. What he lacks in overt charisma, he more than compensates for in his in ring ability and ever improving character. In giving him the ball and letting him run with it, they can produce the next superstar, someone to build the company around. Instead, he's mired in the mid card, losing to guys who should not even be in the ring with him, especially in this decade. I guess it is better than lurking in Flair's shadow, but it's nowhere near the prominence he should have.

He's improved but nobody still cares. Just because 3 people online think he's improved doesn't give him enough credit to pushed as a top face full time.
You really need to give off his dick. Please. AJ Stlyes is liked by Internet fans. TNA wants to build a guy who is liked by EVERYONE. He is not there yet.

I'm all for pushing Crimson, Roode, even Gunner, but not at the expense of Styles. Remains to be seen if it will work or not, but I'm a believer in trying to find the next generation to replace their aging roster. Pushing Styles into "more prominent roles in the near future", that's exactly what I'm talking about, I'm just not seeing any evidence of it happening.

He's the Shawn Micheals of TNA. Never will hold a belt but will still be one of the greats.

Sting and Angle taking lesser roles in the company? Sure, right after Hogan and Flair do so. As long as these guys continue to overshadow AJ Styles, he will continue to be underutilized, that's all I'm saying.

Because their all more marketable and known more than Styles. You can kick and scream "underutilized" but reporters are talking to Sting and Angle at Comic Con and ESPN. Not AJ Styles.

He shouldn't be the only focal point, but he should be the crown jewel of the company. Right now, he's not a focal point at all, he's a mid carder in mid card feuds for mid card belts. And that's a shame and the textbook definition of underutilization.

How many times will you repeat yourself?

Of course you agree with Dreamer, no one could argue that with a straight face, not even Zeven_Zion. The fact that you suggest that Bubba Ray Dudley is a "major, main event-type player" in 2011, while AJ Styles isn't, is exactly the type of underutilization I am referring to.

Because your another "hess amazing in da ring!111 so he should be da face!" fan. You realize that drawing requires going around the 50 states, putting on good matches, promos, appearing in Interviews, magazines, sports shows, drawing viewers in segments consistently? None of that AJ Styles has ever done yet. Angle has done it, Jeff Hardy has done it, Sting has done it as Champion in TNA but AJ Styles never gets any care. Because HE IS NOT A DRAW. DRAWS MAKE YOU A CHAMPION.

He is languishing. There's no overreaction. As a fairly casual TNA viewer, I am usually aware of who's involved with whom, but as a general rule of thumb, I often don't even know what Styles is up to. Rather than me tuning in to see Styles in a prominent feud, I am instead subjected to lesser guys taking his spot. Underutilizatioin.

Well, how about stop being a casual fan and watch the damn show? He's in the Bound For Glory Series, He's about to enter a feud with Daniels and he is booked for Hardcore Justice against Team Immortal.
[/QUOTE]
He's not being treated like Zack Ryder or Gail Kim. Come on now.

All due respect, in a perfect world, heavyweight champions have to draw but let's face it, no one is drawing squat in TNA anyway, so I don't really see the problem here. TNA is mired in the 1.1 to 1.3 range anyway

That's perfect ignorance.

1.1 = 1.5 million viewers
1.3 = 1.9 Million Viewers.

You don't know what a draw is? It goes beyond ratings. It's about ticket sales, buyrates, appearing in media outlets. None of that AJ Styles has achompllished.

The last 3 weeks of Impact Wrestling ratings has drawn 1.4 (2 million viewers) in the main event which has featured Sting, Anderson, Angle, Immortal.

Ratings in the UK at an all time high. Being a draw requires being a WORLD champion. Being able to draw EVERYWHERE.

Sting appearing on ESPN to announce Bound For Glory's venue is what being a draw is. Sting booked to be the main event of the UK 2012 Tour is what being a draw is.

I'm sure they will continue to do this without Styles as champ, and would continue to do so if he was the main event. But by pushing a homegrown guy as a bonafide superstar and credible champion, they could have the potential to turn the corner. Dare I say it, but he could vault them all the way to a lofty 1.4 all by himself. Because if he can't do it, I serious doubt if Ken Anderson or Matt Morgan can.

How the hell are you going to make a bonafide superstar if nobody cares about him?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Do I think he could be used better? Yeah, no doubt. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Styles is someone that should be in the main event scene constantly.

From an in-ring perspective, Styles is one of the best to ever come through TNA. In terms of promo ability, charisma and general personality however, he doesn't come remotely close to matching his in-ring talent. He can deliver matches that are consistently high quality, but he does have some shortcomings and I simply can't say that he's the best overall talent in TNA. At this point in time, that would probably be Kurt Angle. He might be older but he's still got a greater selection of tools to get the job done than anyone else on the TNA roster. That might not be a ringing endorsement of TNA's ability to create stars but, it is what it is.

 

[Dizzy]

And people really need to realize, TNA is not holding AJ Styles back. AJ Style's lack of mic skills, charisma, personality is what holds AJ back. TNA not being able to create stars is also total crap.

Beer Money is a draw and the face of TNA's Tag Team Division. They are stars within Pro-Wrestling Japan, Mexico, UK, etc. That's how over they are.

The Beautiful People, Madison Rayne, Matt Morgan, Motor City Machine Guns are all homegrown created stars by TNA. They've all appeared on other TV shows or done some sort of promotion.

 

[Vomitory]

AJ should be a maineventer and a cornerstone of TNA, he doesn't need to mainevent all the time but he should be booked stronger than now tbh. When people think of TNA they think AJ Styles and the guy is ironically not even in the mainevent most of the time which speaks immensely for his popularity within the TNA fans.

He's basically the Danielson of TNA, the best ring worker of the company by a countrymile and above average charisma/mic skills. Normally I wouldn't call someone with his level of mic skills a bonefide maineventer, but when you look at the overall package, maineventing is mostly about beeing a great storyteller and making people care thus becoming a star and AJ Styles has that inring storytelling plus the exciting wrestling skills to make people become emotionally invested in him hence why he gets the biggest pops when he's outside the IZ most of the time.

 

[Arctic Monkeys]

Yeah I like AJ Styles and i think so to and he should be cena of tna. He is arguable the best
wrestler in TNA. He's
athletically gifted, always
perform great aerial
moves, and is well
rounded in the ring. He
is amazing to watch in
any match he's in. He
has a more wide variety
of movesets in TNA.
Thus meaning he has
way more freedom to do
all of his moves. AJ is
truly phenomenal, and is
the real face of TNA in
my opinion. His in ring
skills, and high flying
ability are second to
none, he's not only a
highflyer but he's also a
good technician in the
ring as well. He's a
legend in the making, as
if he isn't at the
moment.

 

[I_Am_Electro_Boy]

Although AJ is great in the ring, he has average mic skills and not much personality. But I'm not saying that he isn't being under utilized. Because he is, he shouldn't be constantly in the title picture but he deserves a lot more than having a match with Tommy Dreamer at a PPV because he is a good in ring preformer.

 

[ABMorales787]

When are people gonna learn that not having the title or not wrestling for it doesn't mean you are underutilized? For God's sake, AJ is in TNA's pocket. He is a guaranteed success whenever he comes on. How about instead of focusing on the guaranteed success, we work on finding another one. Chris Jericho was always in the midcard and/or losing. Was he underutilized? Yeah, thought so.

 

[hatehabsforever]

When are people gonna learn that not having the title or not wrestling for it doesn't mean you are underutilized? For God's sake, AJ is in TNA's pocket. He is a guaranteed success whenever he comes on. How about instead of focusing on the guaranteed success, we work on finding another one. Chris Jericho was always in the midcard and/or losing. Was he underutilized? Yeah, thought so.

In my opinion, AJ should be in the title picture, or not too far removed from it. Jesus, I cannot believe that I have been defending Styles, to TNA fans no less, knowing my clear opinion of everything TNA. Some guy even told me to get off AJ's dick. I found that funny considering how consistently critical I am of Impact Wrestling.

Even if you disagree with me about whether or not he should be in title contention, I still think he is being grossly underutilized when he's wrestling Tommy fucking Dreamer, Bubba Ray Dudley, Devon Dudley, and Gunner in the year 2011. To utilize him properly, maybe he does not have to be a main eventer (although I disagree), but he does deserve better utilization than that.