The New IWGP Heavyweight Champion, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles

[The Dragon Saga]

Last night AJ Styles defeated Kazuchika Okada to end his 391 day title reign in Styles' first match in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He has also became only the fifth foreigner to ever win the title, in a list that includes Brock Lesnar and Vader. His first title defense will be in two weeks at ROH/NJPW Global Wars against Michael Elgin.

Not too bad for a dude TNA wanted to take a 50% pay cut and then said they didn't need.

 

[Starkist]

He is being pushed out of spite it seems like. If he never left TNA, he'd be in the same spot regardless. Now that he is out of TNA, why book him to lose? It would hurt his name value and would be pointless. AJ made the best decision possible by not resigning with TNA. Now he will get the much needed respect he deserves.

Way to go AJ!

 

[Alex]

He is being pushed out of spite it seems like. If he never left TNA, he'd be in the same spot regardless. Now that he is out of TNA, why book him to lose? It would hurt his name value and would be pointless. AJ made the best decision possible by not resigning with TNA. Now he will get the much needed respect he deserves.

Way to go AJ!

It's weird because while I'd like AJ to be in TNA you're right he'd probably be in the midcard for another five years before getting another World Title shot. Him leaving has bettered him well (is a world champion in a major company and probably makes about the same as he did in TNA before he left)

On a side not TDS did Devitt leave because he couldn't challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. I read that somewhere

 

[The Dragon Saga]

He is being pushed out of spite it seems like. If he never left TNA, he'd be in the same spot regardless. Now that he is out of TNA, why book him to lose? It would hurt his name value and would be pointless. AJ made the best decision possible by not resigning with TNA. Now he will get the much needed respect he deserves.

Way to go AJ!

Spoiler

He has lost outside TNA. He put over Michael Elgin at the last ROH TV taping cleanly.

On a side not TDS did Devitt leave because he couldn't challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. I read that somewhere

Not true. He did challenge for the Heavyweight title, he was chasing Okada for the first half of the year, maybe them not letting him win it when his momentum was at its top annoyed him, but he isn't done with NJPW yet. They rejected his release, and in their post-match promo, Styles and Bullet Club talked shit about Devitt and AJ used Devitt's finisher Bloody Sunday on Okada before hitting the Styles Clash, and using someone elses finisher in Japan is seen like ultimate disrespect.

I wouldn't be totally surprised if NJPW re-signed Devitt for some more dates and did Styles/Devitt.

 

[Starkist]

I know he lost to Elgin to help build his match that is coming up soon. Put him back in TNA and he'd lose 2 out of 3 matches. AJ is one of my all time favorites and he brought me into liking TNA way back when. TNA messed up big, and it is their own fault. I am happy for AJ finally get what he deserves the most. Showing off the fact he is truly Phenomenal!

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

All in all, I'm just feeling bad for the fact that Devitt never wore the title and he sure as hell deserved it more than AJ Styles. I don't like the decision as I'm an avid follower of New Japan and thought Okada's reign deserved a lot better, as far as stage and story at least. AJ Styles being the one is not the problem, just would like to have it ended on a bigger note. Also Takahashi's turn was complete bullshit.

 

[Starkist]

Is Okada the guy that was with Somoa Joe for a little while?

 

[klunderbunker]

He'll at least have a better finisher. I mean....it's a clothesline. How does that keep winning best finisher in the WON Awards?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Clearly Styles used his backstage politicking to bury a whole company.

 

[Vega]

Wow, this is a serious buff to his legacy. Since TNA is off the schedule, I'll watch New Japan more regularly now, even with the language barrier.

 

[three count bout]

So Styles is a heel in NJPW since he's with the Bullet Club right? Is he doing a good job of pulling off the heel schtick?

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Clearly Styles used his backstage politicking to bury a whole company.

OMG i know rite!!!!!

 

[The Dragon Saga]

So Styles is a heel in NJPW since he's with the Bullet Club right? Is he doing a good job of pulling off the heel schtick?

Japan doesn't do heels/faces like America. They can be good guys just have bad attitudes and be considered heels, or the other way around. AJ's just viewed as the disrespectful foreigner who debuted by attacking the top guy and then joined the top heel stable, but it looks like when he does ROH despite the fact NJPW and ROH now seem to be promoting one another and stuff, that he'll be a good guy aligned with bad guys, despite the fact next week Bullet Club will probably get a heroes welcome cause they're bad ass and shit.

Wow, this is a serious buff to his legacy. Since TNA is off the schedule, I'll watch New Japan more regularly now, even with the language barrier.

Sometimes it makes for good laughs, such as...

[YOUTUBE]FoRClRfv4HE[/YOUTUBE]

"YUNG BUCKSUU, GO HOMU, PLZ, GO HOMU!"

Also last night when the commentator tried to say "Ring of Honor" and pronounced it, "WING OF HOMER" was said to be funny.

 

[The_Misson]

I'm very excited for AJ's reign. So many great match posibilities AJ vs Tanahashi, AJ vs Nakamura, AJ vs Naito, AJ vs Okada II, AJ vs Ishii and AJ vs Shibata. I see him holding the title all the way to WrestleKingdom.

 

[braveh]

Njpw were rushing to get out of the okada,tanahashi main events, maybe they werent drawing that well

 

[nightmare]

Clearly this is part of the elaborate Jeff Jarrett\AJ styles 'we fooled you' plan.


Now AJ is just going to take the fall to JJ so he can have a legit title for his new promotion. Then weeks later on Impact we get a Scooby-Doo ending where Dixie pulls off a rubber mask & reveals that she was Karen Jarrett & the real Dixie has been locked in a basement somewhere the whole time. Then she brings out her conspirators & now AJ is back & JJ is back in his rightful throne atop TNA. JJ strips Eric of the belt, gives it to AJ & planet Jarrett is right again. Global Force was a farce made to scout talent so AJ could steal the title. We should have seen it coming.


Full circle.

 

[X]

They did this pretty much solely because of Styles crossover appeal to American fans, hoping it will bolster their iPPV buyrates and I bet it will give them a nice shot in the arm, he has good name value. I can dig it, Styles deserves it, and Okada had a nice run with it, it's not like he's going to be completely pushed aside. This should be a nice short term thing for them, then back on Okada I think. Or who knows, maybe they'll finally give Goto a shot? I don't know, I haven't been watching lately, just following results and news. Or Shibata. Or Ishii. I'd love to see any of those guys with the strap. But AJ is a good pick and it's a nice little thing to add to his list of accomplishments.

But god all fuckin' mighty AJ, get a haircut. You look autistic.

 

[.]

Give Ishii the fucking belt.

There i said it.

 

[Uncle Sam]

If there's one thing WWE needs to steal from Japan, and there is, it's to get The Shield shirts like this:

But god all fuckin' mighty AJ, get a haircut. You look autistic.

I like his hair!

 

[braveh]

Shield are homoerotic
I dont think bullet club are