Should A.J. Styles Just Swallow His Pride and Sign With the WWE?

[sfury2005]

what other TNA guys? do you mean the ex WWE takent that went back there after TNA didn't use them at all? and by WCW guys u mean people that were just there to get a paycheck and those that weren't and were already over got to the main event in WWE too.? and the rest were never relevant anyway

or do you mean the likes of Ric Flair, Steve Austin, Chris Benoit/Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Triple H, Rey Mysterio, Big Show to name a few that WWE made household names and all held the world titles under the WWE banner. but yeah they misused all the worthy talent.

Nice try but when Steve Austin, Chris Benoit,Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Kevin Nash, Triple H, Rey Mysterio, Big Show and I'll throw in Taker went to WWE/F it was earlier and when WCW was still strong in the ratings and WWE/F was needing talent.

The complaint about WWE/F's use of former WCW wrestlers is about after they bought WCW. Booker T came through after a long time there but most WCW fans viewed the Rocks treatment of him as disrespectful and him running from Austin as stupid. It was a long time before they ever used him in a way that got him to be a champion and yet still made it so he only won due to help from his wife in every match.

DDP was used horribly and never allowed any offense against Taker or Kane and even had to job to Takers wife by letting her pin him in the ring. The whole invasion angle was used to make every WCW/ECW wrestler look weak and that is not up for debate. They would have 3 or 4 WWE/F wrestlers constantly beat down 20 or more of the WCW/ECW group every week.

Whether WWE/F fans like or not the perception amongst many and maybe most WCW fans was Vince used WCW wrestlers to make them look bad against his guys. Vince had a chance to use them differently and make friends and fans of the WCW fans which at the time was drawing ratings not far under the 3.0 mark and he chose to make our favorite wrestlers look pathetic so many of us chose to tune out and not watch wrestling period until TNA made it onto regular TV.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Styles is someone that might be legitimately happy in TNA. He's among the highest paid guys on the roster, he enjoys working in TNA, probably likes the much lighter schedule as well. If the guy's content with where he's at in life and in pro wrestling, then there's no real reason for him to leave. If whatever he has going in in TNA is working for him and for his family, then why rock the boat?

Ultimately, I think it depends on what Styles wants out of wrestling as a whole. As I said, he seems to be happy with TNA and has said many times that he's loyal to TNA. That's all well and good but business is business. Styles is someone that's gone about as far as he can in TNA. He's won every title that a male wrestler can win in TNA at least once, most of them more than once. He's had a lot of memorable moments, feuded with a lot of other great wrestlers and has shown time & time again that he's one of the best in-ring pro wrestlers in the world. When it's all said and done, that's not a bad thing.

If Styles wants to be someone that's look at as one of THE top guys in wrestling, then he's going to have to go to WWE. I'm not slamming TNA as Styles is one of the foundations of TNA. Fans can have lots of fun or heated debates as to which company is "better", which roster is "better" and all this and that; but when it comes to recognition and a wrestler establishing himself in the grand scheme of things, TNA isn't anywhere close to WWE's level right now. That's just simply how it is and it's not likely to change anytime in the forseeable future. WWE has the history, the lineage, the brand recognition. When most fans think wrestling, WWE is usually what springs to mind first, even if those fans aren't into WWE. When it comes to outsiders that've never watched wrestling in their lives, they at least know about WWE and the basics of it if nothing else. There's no WCW around and TNA isn't anywhere close to being as strong as WCW was or WWE is. That might be rectified with the passage of time, but that won't do Styles any good another 15 or 20 years from now. If he wants the possibility of going down as an "all time great", it's not going to happen if he stays in TNA.

So I dunno if Styles should sign with WWE or not. As I said, it lies in where he's at in his life in terms of what he wants out of his career and where he wants to go with it. If he's happy, stay put; if he wants more, then maybe he should head up North. I'm not saying that it's a guarantee that Styles will be a mega star if he went to WWE. WWE might screw up and drop the ball with him, Styles might not be able to really shine on a bigger stage, fans might not buy into him, etc. There aren't very many guarantees in life and that includes pro wrestling.

 

[BK Styles]

Oh boy...

Firstly, swallow his pride? Nuh-uh. WWE would have to offer him a decent amount, with a decent deal, to get him to come over. There's no pride-swallowing if the biggest wrestling company in the world express an interest. He can't just sign with them; they need to want him.

Secondly, why would he leave? He's a big fish in TNA. Yes, he has expressed his opinions on questionable booking decisions in the past, but he's remained loyal. Multiple time world champion, who can slip into midcard and tag division easily enough. In TNA, he's a big name. He goes to WWE, he probably won't be. He's 35, I can't see WWE taking him on and having him be anything other than a midcard guy. If he were to get to Christians level, he would do well, but I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt he'd get that far.

I see no reason for AJ to wanna go there other than for the sake of it. But if he were to, tough, because WWE would need to want him for it to happen. And he would hardly be swallowing his pride in that scenario.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

nope he should never go to wwe unless tna goes out of business they wouldnt use him right they probably wont use alex shelley right either AJ should stay with TNA as long as TNA is in business hes damn good and hes basically the face of the company wrestling wise sure hes done it all there but if hes smart he will stay where he is im sure he makes more in TNA then he would in WWE.

 

[BenChillin]

AJ is getting older...

Time is ticking...

I think he needs too.

TNA Hall of Fame. Lol.

 

[Airehk]

If A.J. can stay clean, focused and win over the fans on the mic. A.J. should swallow his pride and join WWE. He could easily pick up the IC title then build up to run with Ziggler, Rhodes and Christian.

 

[JaylisJayP]

There is no room for AJ in WWE...Evan Bourne and Sin Cara pretty much have the athletic small guy thing covered, I don't see WWE showing much interest. Maybe if this cruiserweight program comes to bear they would give him a look...but he main evented Impact last week, he wouldn't make the second hour of either Raw or Smackdown. TNA guys haven't exactly had a great history of going to WWE and having success...see Monty Brown, Kazarian, Chris Harris...so I doubt WWE would even show much interest, much less give him a decent contract or a real chance. Honestly, he seems very happy to be the one most associated with TNA's history, and I have no problem with that either. He's consistently entertaining, and the best thing on the show.

I could easily see WWE picking him up for no other reason than to "stick it" to TNA after TNA scooped up so many people who had made their name with WWE. Might not make total sense to you or me, but no doubt if thing aligned, WWE would give it strong consideration if he wasn't too expensive even if they didn't plan to use him on the two big shows all that much.

 

[SpecialFNK]

swallow his pride and go to WWE? as if the WWE is soo superior. please give me a break.
maybe John Cena should should go TNA. see I can throw out crazy ideas too.

 

[ECW Sandman]

Anyone remember what they ( WWE ) did with Lo Ki, honestly If AJ went to WWE they would probably do the same thing to him I understand Punk was in TNA in the early days but he had more time to hone his craft, before going in to WWE just like The American Dragon, But WWE likes to do things there own way with they own guys minus Benoit Eddie Rey Jericho and Booker AJ is great in TNA going to WWE would wreck everything he has done for TNA, and this is coming from a life long WWF/E Fan.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Firstly , its AJ Styles not AJ Style's.

And no AJ Styles won't fit in WWE. WWE won't use him properly just like they did to all other WCW and TNA guys.

Firstly, there's a comma after the no. Otherwise, you're creating a double negative. See how easy it is to make an ass out of yourself?

Now to continue the topic, who are you to say that WWE won't use him properly? And under what statistics are you basing these theories off of? WWE knows what people work for their product and what people don't work for it. They might sign AJ and think that maybe he'll be a good mid-card draw. Or maybe they just might push him. But at the end of the day, I think that AJ would have a very successful career in WWE. Sure Monty Brown, Low-Ki, and Chris Harris might have failed but that doesn't mean AJ is destined to.

As for if I think he should go to WWE, I think it's all about if the timing is right. Right now, AJ's at a point where he's young and vibrant, but also experienced enough to put others over. I will say that I believe AJ could make a solid addition to the Smackdown roster, but only if they can start him off hot and give him something that works.

 

[sufyaan05]

No he shouldn't.

They would bury him.

Although a Aj Styles/Ziggler feud would be short of EPIC.

 

[Ballin247]

He definitely should. He has done everything he can do in TNA. What more can he do? I do not think he will be a main eventer in WWE but so what? It doesn't mean he can't be a solid mid-carder and maybe be a great IC or US Champion. There is a lot he can do in WWE. If he doesn't work out he can just go back to TNA and pretend it never happened. He isn't getting any younger. He may as well take the risk and give it a shot if they want him.

 

[Weems2k]

Why is it that the attitude on here is that everyone in TNA is garbage, yet they should always jump to The "E", (only to get buried). Yet if TNA signs a former "E" guy, they are automatically ridiculed for making a huge mistake. I can't believe some of the threads I've seen on here. Really, Styles isn't considered a great wrestler unless he shows up in The "E"? Just like Sting isn't considered an Icon unless he kisses Vince's Ass?

 

[CM Steel]

First I just wanna say my bad for the typo upon typing "Swallow". And second.

I think that A.J. Styles would do well in the WWE. He could fit in well under Vince McMahon like how CM Punk did. A.J. Styles is truly "phenomenal" in the ring. Why not try the waters in the WWE? What is he going to do after his run in TNA go to ROH?

Just think 3D. That's all I have to say.

 

[dman1373]

Why is it that the attitude on here is that everyone in TNA is garbage, yet they should always jump to The "E", (only to get buried). Yet if TNA signs a former "E" guy, they are automatically ridiculed for making a huge mistake. I can't believe some of the threads I've seen on here. Really, Styles isn't considered a great wrestler unless he shows up in The "E"? Just like Sting isn't considered an Icon unless he kisses Vince's Ass?

i agree 100%. If sting doesn't kiss Vince McMahons ass then he is not an icon.

 

[The ShIT Factor]

Even though its been said throughout the thread I do think WWE will just have A.J. Styles slip into mid-card purgatory. WWE has been horrible with superstars from other companies, for example Kaval, Gregory Helms, Lance Storm, Scott Steiner, and Goldberg. WWE does not respect high-flyers like A.J., only a few high-flyers actually make it. A.J.'s showmanship might be the only thing keeping him afloat in the mid-card if he goes, but he'll probably be more of the same.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm seeing more than a few posts insisting that he won't be "used right". It's true that not every wrestler is going to be used the way many fans feel that he should. Why is it, however, that it's only WWE that catches flack for that.

I seem to remember a lot of "WWE doesn't use Matt Hardy right" complaints a while back but, correct me if I'm wrong, but did TNA use him any better? In the short time Hardy was there, did he do anything other than show off how mediocre he was while simultaneously doing things to embarass TNA?

How about Mr. Anderson? Sure, the guy was setting the world on fire for a while it seemed, even won the TNA WHC a few times. But look what happened to him after he got to the top of the mountain. Can anyone really say that Anderson's career has been better for the two miserable, though thankfully brief, runs he had with the title?

How about Tommy Dreamer and the other various ECW rejects? They weren't "used right" in WWE but I guess it's ok because they got to come to TNA so TNA could give them their very own tribute ppv despite the fact that they were overrated hacks.

Quite frankly, it's stupid to just proclaim that Styles wouldn't be "used right" or would be buried within the mid-card picture. It's a statement that's made for nearly every guy that comes into WWE, including CM Punk & Daniel Bryan. CM Punk has spent almost a year now in the WWE Championship picture & has held the title for more than 6 months now. Daniel Bryan has spent the past 6+ months as either a World Champion or wrestling for World Championships.

At any rate, it's all moot anyhow as I don't see Styles heading to WWE. As I said in my earlier post, Styles seems like someone that's content in TNA.

 

[SpecialFNK]

Why is it that the attitude on here is that everyone in TNA is garbage, yet they should always jump to The "E", (only to get buried). Yet if TNA signs a former "E" guy, they are automatically ridiculed for making a huge mistake. I can't believe some of the threads I've seen on here. Really, Styles isn't considered a great wrestler unless he shows up in The "E"? Just like Sting isn't considered an Icon unless he kisses Vince's Ass?

winner.
why should AJ even want to go to the WWE? why not stay in TNA and become a life long legend.
I suppose other TNA stars like Bobby Roode and James Storm should go to the WWE too?
such garbage. E fools.

 

[CM Steel]

winner.
why should AJ even want to go to the WWE? why not stay in TNA and become a life long legend.
I suppose other TNA stars like Bobby Roode and James Storm should go to the WWE too?
such garbage. E fools.

Impact mark!

It's all about letting A.J. Styles grow as a pro wrestler. And life long legend? WTF is that?? Sting is a legend in TNA because of the work that he put in in NWA & WCW. A.J. Styles has ways to go to even get to that title of status.

So A.J. Styles signing with the WWE would be a major feather in the cap for him! And nobody can really as big a name as A.J. Styles can stay in TNA forever.

 

[adamosmani]

Watching TNA part time over the years, I know that they have some unbelievable talent, and AJ is on the top of that list.

AJ could be with TNA for the rest of his life if he wanted to. If he came to WWE, it is almost predictable that he won't be used correctly or appropriately due to his past in TNA. Simple as that in my opinion.

 

[Rayne]

why should AJ even want to go to the WWE? why not stay in TNA and become a life long legend.

TNA/IW isn't making people famous. There are limits to the name recognition that you can get when you are working for a company that hasn't grown since when you signed your long-term contract. I'd think the Why of this should be entirely obvious to anyone with an objective viewpoint. Quite simply, if your goal is fame, recognition, and money, the opportunity is better in the WWE than it is in TNA/IW.

The only exception to this rule is Sting, and the reason he's an exception is because he was a headlining star for a company that was, for a time, larger (in appearance) than the WWE. TNA/IW won't blow up like WCW did, because WCW was flinging around money foolishly, and collapsed when bills started coming due. If TNA/IW ever outpaces the WWE, they are aiming to do it over several years- and AJ Styles won't be in the position to benefit from it any more.

For that matter, we'll never know what would have become of Sting in the WWE. (Besides people on the internet saying he obviously wouldn't be used right, since he wouldn't be in their favorite promotion anymore.)

I suppose other TNA stars like Bobby Roode and James Storm should go to the WWE too?

If their goal is to maximize fame, recognition, and income, then yes, they will have a better opportunity for that in the WWE than in TNA/IW.

This by no means implies that any performer traveling from TNA/IW to WWE is guaranteed to do better for himself; just that the potential is greater. TNA/IW isn't putting anyone in movies. The reasons for why a performer would jump ship to the WWE should be staggeringly obvious to people; it's a matter of if going to the WWE would fit whatever that particular performer was looking for from his professional wrestling career.

 

[Supacat15]

What pride does he have to swallow? He doesn't need to go to the WWE, he gets paid good money, has a great fan base, good work schedule so he can spend time with his family, has alot of friends in TNA and a bona fide future TNA Hall of Famer.

If he wants to go to the WWE to try out new challenges, I will still support him no matter what but why would anyone think any less of him if he stayed in TNA his whole career.

 

[CM Steel]

What pride does he have to swallow? He doesn't need to go to the WWE, he gets paid good money, has a great fan base, good work schedule so he can spend time with his family, has alot of friends in TNA and a bona fide future TNA Hall of Famer.

If he wants to go to the WWE to try out new challenges, I will still support him no matter what but why would anyone think any less of him if he stayed in TNA his whole career.

Fuck the TNA hall of fame! It's a joke like the Nasty Boy's TNA run. But anyways.

Alot of current TNA stars had a run in the WWE (Mr. Anderson, Mickie James, ECT). And their career's were never the same upon returing to TNA for obvious reason's. But as far as other things you pointed out, A.J. Styles could make MORE money, have his TNA fanbase follow him to the WWE, and the rest falls into place.

That's what's wrong with you TNA marks. A "good work schedule"? Really?? If the stove's to hot stay out the kitchen! That go's for TNA/Impact wrestling in-general! And if you really supported A.J. Styles like that, you would be for him jumping to the E over him having alot of friends in TNA and be a bona fide future TNA Hall of Famer. Kill that noise man!

 

[Supacat15]

Fuck the TNA hall of fame! It's a joke like the Nasty Boy's TNA run. But anyways.

Alot of current TNA stars had a run in the WWE (Mr. Anderson, Mickie James, ECT). And their career's were never the same upon returing to TNA for obvious reason's. But as far as other things you pointed out, A.J. Styles could make MORE money, have his TNA fanbase follow him to the WWE, and the rest falls into place.

That's what's wrong with you TNA marks. A "good work schedule"? Really?? If the stove's to hot stay out the kitchen! That go's for TNA/Impact wrestling in-general! And if you really supported A.J. Styles like that, you would be for him jumping to the E over him having alot of friends in TNA and be a bona fide future TNA Hall of Famer. Kill that noise man!

First of all, how do you know if the TNA Hall of Fame will be a joke? It hasn't even started yet. Secondly, what has Mr Anderson and Mickie James have to do with this conversation?

Finally how am I a TNA mark? I've been a WWE fan all my life and only started watching TNA in 2009. I watch wrestling from all over the world and even watch matches from the 80's and before. All I said was that he has a good thing going for him and I wouldn't blame for staying but if he went to WWE then I will support him no matter what.

So don't start throwing around accusations at me when you don't know anything about me.

If anything, your the mark lol

 

[CM Steel]

First of all, how do you know if the TNA Hall of Fame will be a joke? It hasn't even started yet. Secondly, what has Mr Anderson and Mickie James have to do with this conversation?

Finally how am I a TNA mark? I've been a WWE fan all my life and only started watching TNA in 2009. I watch wrestling from all over the world and even watch matches from the 80's and before. All I said was that he has a good thing going for him and I wouldn't blame for staying but if he went to WWE then I will support him no matter what.

So don't start throwing around accusations at me when you don't know anything about me.

If anything, your the mark lol

I'm the mark? I'm the Mack!

It just seems like your protecting A.J. Styles in a funny way. You don't want his career to go any further than in TNA for some reason? What happened to going on to the next challenge in life? Your holding A.J. Styles back for even typing that comment! If A.J. were to go to the WWE? We don't know WTF the E would have in-store for A.J. Styles. He's a name! A name that should be strongly marketed.

So don't call me a mark.