The Calf Killer

[ABMorales787]

Since returning earlier in the year, AJ Styles has been finishing off opponents with Kneebar like submission move dubbed the "Calf Killer". Despite being new to the move, he's shown to be quite proficient with it. However, I just don't like the move. At all. To me it just does not fit AJ's "Lone Wolf" character at all. Not to mention the first thing I think when I hear the name is that AJ seems to hate young cows. I realize the submission move was probably added for the BFG Series but that does not change the seeming displacement of the move.

He wrestles with a high-impact brawling style but finishes his opponents with a Kneebar even though he never aims at it. It just does not click with me. Maybe a fast, out of nowhere maneuver would have fitted better. Like the Stone Cold Stunner. Nobody has used that move in a long time. But we see Cutter and Rock Bottom variants everywhere. A high angle Stunner would've been one hell of a move from AJ especially if he's fighting A's & 8's.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

An Osaka Street Cutter? Na too fancy.

I like the Calf Killer. It adds a ruthless dimension to his gimmick and it works really. If he is a Lone Wolf as good a sudden impact move would be, a submission is a little more badass. Calf Killer doesn't remind anyone of cows come on man.

 

[JulesWagner]

And why Calf Killer wouldn't remind anyone of cows? It's no Cattle Mutilation but...

On a different note, it is a decent submission for now but we'll have to see where AJ can take it and what he can pull off with it. He's shown it to be a very fluid submission for someone as athletic and acrobatic as he is. If he really were to exploit a litteral "Lone Wolf" gimmick, a submission targeting the neck or throat would make even more sense to me but that might just be a personal opinion so...

 

[TheFrankStarkey]

To me, the Calf Killer doesn't remind me of anything. What it does for me is foreshadow something.....that something is AJ ending the TNA world championship reign of "Calfzilla" himself, Bully Ray.

 

[newwaveknight]

I think AJ should have kept the Styles Clash. I don't know many other TNA fans, but the ones I know are big on keeping SOME things with the "Originals" traditional. Seeing as how AJ Styles is considered the poster boy for the Originals, you can't change him too much or else some TNA fans will reject the change.

But like I said, I don't know that many other TNA fans.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

To me, the Calf Killer doesn't remind me of anything. What it does for me is foreshadow something.....that something is AJ ending the TNA world championship reign of "Calfzilla" himself, Bully Ray.

LOL amazing. You sir are a genius!

I realize the submission move was probably added for the BFG Series

Ha if TNA did plan that then kudos to them, that thought never crossed my mind! Awesome.

Now as for the move itself I like it. What you do say about AJ not working the leg I've noticed as well, but perhaps it's a way of saying that the move is so devastating it can make someone tap without any prior workage like Angle's ankle lock?

If any of you remember last year while Claire Lynch was going on, AJ was using the Muta Lock. Would people prefer if he did that instead? I think that move is great too but the problem is the setup takes too long.

 

[The Nomenal Phe]

I like the calf killer, I think it suits AJ's new persona. However my issue with it is it's not much of a strong finisher as both Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe have gotten out of it. To be considered a real finisher it has to finish people!

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I think AJ should have kept the Styles Clash. I don't know many other TNA fans, but the ones I know are big on keeping SOME things with the "Originals" traditional. Seeing as how AJ Styles is considered the poster boy for the Originals, you can't change him too much or else some TNA fans will reject the change.

But like I said, I don't know that many other TNA fans.

I'm thinking he hasn't dropped the Styles Clash at all. They're just putting more focus on his new submission finisher.

While I agree that a more impactful finisher would've been nice, I don't see a real problem with his Calf Killer. It adds a certain viciousness to his character that is fitting since he doesn't care about anyone but himself now.

Back to the Styles Clash. I'm kind of hoping they have dropped it, however unlikely. It doesn't fit his current persona at all. It takes too long to set up and isn't vicious whatsoever. As KJ pointed out, something like a stunner would be more fitting. Something impactful and just meaner looking. But its almost as if its wrestling law where a wrestler can't add 2 finishing moves at once. Since he got the Calf Killer, he can't have a new impact finisher.

 

[Starkist]

I like the move personally. I know it doesn't make sense that he doesn't work the leg before he applies it, but hey it's wrestling after all. The move is called the Calf Killer, which to me seems like the move is very painful to be in no matter when it's applied. It works well for AJ also. He has a darker side and this is great move for him to use. I dig it and I like how he can put it on from different spots too. Makes it that much more interesting.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

I thought of the foreshadow of Styles using the Calf Killer on Calfzilla as well. So thank you for calling me a genius.

Yes, I do like the Calf Killer. The quickness and transition into the move make it sweet. The way he wraps the leg up it really does look like it hurts. He doesn't work the leg? Not all that important... the match could be considered a set up, trying to distract his opponent from thinking AJ might try and lock that move in and hit it when he finally gets their guard down.

I also believe AJ Styles was using the Indian Deathlock which looked fairly vicious. But this move being added to his arsenal I will just chalk up as the greatness of AJ Styles constantly wanting to get better. And I would seriously consider him the best in-ring performer I've ever seen... if it wasn't for guys like Austin Aries and Samoa Joe. It's hard to bring Daniel Bryan and CM Punk into this because WWE still obviously is limiting offense... WWE's matches are still more slow feeling and rehearsed, though it has improved.

 

[Kliq]

Calf Killer doesn't remind anyone of cows come on man.

I can't tell if that is sarcastic or not...

Because that is exactly what I thought the name of the move was going for, and I thought we all understood that. AJ was always billed as a good 'ole southern boy from rural Gainesville, GA. He also has an adorable baby face, and a baby cow (a calf) is also adorable. It looks like a move inspired by a little rural boy wrestling with a calf.

 

[das1234]

i like the move, for this incarnation of aj its perfect.
i would like it more if he would use his other leg to apply more pressure as well (you know, pressing his leg down with his free leg), kind of like angle with his two levels of anklelock, but its cool to see and i love the rolling intro thing he does.
as for the styles clash, i dont think he should use it while he is this dark character, since daniels "desecrated" it in their last match..

(you know, i just realized that tna has found the only way to screw up that storyline...
having daniels vs styles AGAIN as a meaningless bfg series bout a few months after their final for the last time ever last match... thats devaluation for you.
maybe this match wont happen, but it certainly shouldnt happen.)

 

[HBsam31]

To me, the Calf Killer doesn't remind me of anything. What it does for me is foreshadow something.....that something is AJ ending the TNA world championship reign of "Calfzilla" himself, Bully Ray.

This was the first thing I thought of when I heard the name too. People talking about killing calfs was a bit strange to me. It might be a coincidence, but if AJ goes on to beat Bully Ray for the title with that move then this original poster of this is going to look like a genius. I like the move. I think it adds an element to AJ that he didn't have, and it is an easy to apply move. The Styles clash looked good, but I always have hated finishers that require the opponent to fit in just right like when they just happen to wrap their arms around AJ's legs to make the move look just right. I like more spur of the moment finishers, finishers that come out of nowhere. Submissions work because the opponent is usually weakened. That said, I like the finisher, and will be awesome if he takes the title from "calfzilla" with The Calf killer.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Since when does AJ wrestle with a "high impact brawling style"? I guess he implements a fair share of that, but I've always found him to be pretty universal and diverse with his styles. Submissions, springboards, counters, chain-grapples, etc. I would have never described AJ as any kind of "brawler".

Personally I like the move. I'm not crazy about the name, but I suppose the alternative is something cheesy and/or punny that matches his gimmick. We've seen pretty much all he has to offer over the last decade, so it's nice to see something new from Styles. It's more brutal, for certain. He's tried for the Styles Clash a few times since coming back, so it's not likely it's always the end-all be-all of his matches. I like when vets shake things up.

 

[#HELLNO]

I like this, reason being that it adds more to his character than just having a tonne of high offensive moves, ALL OF THE TIME! AJ is one of those wrestlers that needed to add something different to his wrestling arsenal, like what has already been said, people like the originals to stay the same. Although there is a lot of people out here that like to see something different, and like to see a change within the wrestlers from time to time, than just seeing the same old 'Styles Clash' over and over again.

I hope that this isn't just because of the BFG Series because that would just be a damn shame, and would destroy months of what they where building up as a major threat. Although TNA is famous for this so it wouldn't surprise me if they did do this.