The TNA Who's Better Poll #1

[Dr. Stinger A. Zoidberg]

Well, I've been doing these in the WWE section and I figured that I should start doing them here too. So, Today's supertars are AJ Styles and Kurt Angle. Let's take a look at their TNA stats.

AJ Styles:
1X TNA Legends Champion
1X TNA World Champion
1X TNA Tag Team Champion
6X TNA X-Division Champion

Kurt Angle:
3X TNA World Champion
1X TNA Tag Team Champion
1X TNA X- Division Champion
2X King Of The Mountain

*I did not use NWA stats

Both of these men are the IMO the greatest assets TNA has at the moment. Both are equally matched. However, While I am a fan of Angle. AJ is probably one of the best in the world right now. There is no superstar in TNA that can match his abilities. AJ wins my vote here.

 

[Poɘt]

Nice Sting sig.

I often find myself debating about who at the very end of their career will be the greatest of all time (for this generation): HBK or Kurt Angle. And when I look back on Angle's TNA career, I have to give him the nudge.

Kurt Angle has consistently put on great match after great match, and is the villain TNA didn't know they needed until he arrived. For so long AJ had been TNA's hero and poster boy but it always felt like something was missing despite all AJ brought. Then Kurt Angle arrived. Some hated that he was from the Evil Empire up north, others hated that he would step on the toes of the talent already there. But one thing everyone had in common was that we all knew we were about to see a lot of dream matches.

Kurt was on WWECW because he had seemingly been labeled damaged goods. He was even on many people's death watch list, so when he showed up in TNA, the last thing any of us expected was him to become even better in the ring, and that's exactly what happen. Who knew this already intense competitor could become even more intense. He's as good in the ring as he is on the mic, and when you consider his ring work, that's pretty amazing. There are few talents that at the drop of a dime can either make you love them or despise them, and Angle is one of those talents.

I give my vote to Angle simply because he's not just another great talent, he's the greatest of all time.

 

[a0161613]

I'm a huge AJ fan but I made a thread after BFG saying Angle is the best around and he really is. The AJ heel turn was only going to work with someone against him the calibre of Angle. That is, AJ turned because he was so desperate to win and Angle had all the answers.

Angel made Morgan look like a star at BFG. He did the same with Pope not long after that. Give it a few years and AJ will be the reason millions more watch TNA.

 

[FromTheSouth]

AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the world right now. While I do agree with Numbers that Angle may be a bit better at making others look good, AJ is still good, and the difference between the two in that facet of the game does not compensate for AJ's offensive abilities.

AJ is a true innovator. He springboard 450 is one of the most spectacular moves to see on TV. How much longer until he springboards into an SSP? Do you doubt that he is able to do so? Of course you don't, and that's because time and again he does something more athletic than anyone else. He has taken an X division body and through pure hard work made himself into a main eventer by combining those X skills with a series of high impact strikes which he can deliver from all angles. Angle is better at throws and submissions, but AJ's strikes are so creative and effective, and once you combine that with realistic aerial ability that actually makes sense in the context of his matches, I think you need to look to AJ.

For everyone who says that AJ doesn't work as a heel, first of all, I say you are fucking wrong, and secondly, I ask, how well does Kurt work as a face? When examining AJ as a heel, I think we need to escape the world of wrestling and look at the persona of the southern man. Luckily, I have some experience in this field. We are taught to be humble, respectful, and mind our mommas. AJ is being arrogant and a womanizer. This is the type of cocky asshole I have dealt with for years. Believe me, AJ as a heel plays well in the south, where the company and the fan base are centered. Secondly, I think it plays well nationally. He may not be the manipulating, calculating heel that Vince says you have to be to get over. He is something different. He is a midcard-style heel at the top of the card. All the people clamoring for something different, have something different, and then they bitch about it not being what Vince told them to like. So, fuck em.

 

[Schizophrenic]

Gotta go with Angle (for the moment). The guy has proven that no matter what kind of match and stipulationhe seems to flow and never seems to not know what he is doing in the ring. His credits speak for themselves, and while many would say that they are just fake wrestling titles, people have to remember that they would not have those fake titles if they didn't really deserve them. Especially multiple times such as Angle or Styles. But overall I have to give the nod to Kurt in this one. Maybe in a few years I will change my tone.

 

[rkodeadman]

I have to say Angle. They are both brilliant wrestlers and I loved all of their matches together. They are very different in the ring so it makes them hard to compare.

A.J is extremely athletic and he uses that to put on extremely good matches. But, Angle is more of a technical and submission wrestler and still puts on unbelievable matches. I would go for Angle because every time he goes into the ring you know that you are going the enjoy the match. Hopefully they can both bring TNA to the next level.

 

[mister_b1LL]

Gotta go with Kurt Angle. Angle never has a bad match. His worst match is still candidate for match of the year. When he needs to be over he dominates the competition in a credible way. If he needs to put someone over, he'll do it gracefully. His match with Desmond Wolfe made Wolfe look like a million bucks and definitely put him in the running for the TNA Championship.

AJ has a very wonderful moveset and continues to wow me every week he competes. He is and will forever be the face of TNA. The only thing I worry about is if he can do the same kind of stuff he does now when he's Angle's age. He could screw himself up if he does a springboard 450 splash at age 40.

Angle's my pick. Still just as good has he was back in the day.

 

[Supersayin]

Even though AJ is the absolute best in the world at what he does, i have to give it to Angle just because he has more experience. When Kurt was in WWE, people used to call him mid-card at best and had a 5* match once in a blue moon.

When he came to TNA, people started calling him the greatest wreslter in the world and he hadn't even had a match yet.

 

[phlewfy]

I definitely have to say Kurt Angle. While A.J. is a great talent, I don't think he is one of the greatest of all time...yet. Kurt Angle is certainly one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, if not the greatest wrestler of all time. Kurt Angle makes other guys into stars all the while not losing any of his shine. When I watch Angle in a match, I know I am going to get a wonderful wrestling match. I can't remember the last time I watched a Kurt Angle match and was disappointed. Angle has made countless guys in TNA look like top level talent. D'Angelo Dinero, Desmond Wolfe, Matt Morgan, and of course A.J. Styles have all recently had their stock elevated by being in the ring with Kurt Angle. Now, A.J. is a great talent and obviously TNA's main man. However, while A.J. is spectacular and very entertaining to watch, he doesn't have the ability to elevate other guys the way Kurt Angle does. I look at this past Impact. Yes A.J. and D'Angelo Dinero had a kickass match, but I barely remember Pope pinning A.J. If Pope had pinned Kurt Angle, it would be harder to forget because of who Kurt Angle is. Olympic gold medalist, 12 time world champion, and one of the greatest mic men in the history of the business put Kurt Angle in a league of his own.

 

[GenMe]

I go with angel as being the numero uno.When Angel wrestles people like AJ hey makes them look freaking good.He has the best mic skills in TNA and his just the best in TNA.AJ started with TNA but he wasnt a big name like angel as soon as angle arrive in tna tna was a new and improve wrestling bussines.

 

[Vintage]

Angle gets my vote. Angle is the complete package. Styles needs to work on his mic skills a bit before he'll be able to be a serious contender for #1. Daniels is a push away from being a bigger threat to Angle than Styles is.

 

[Lancer]

If you're basing this contest on ring abilities alone, then it's too close to call. But if you're taking into account promo and mic skills, then the edge definitely goes to Angle. He can appear as mad and intense, or as serious and somber, as you want him to be. He can tell a story in and out of the ring.

AJ has all of the in-ring ability in the world, and is a deserving World Champion since he has been in TNA from Day One. But if there was ever one drawback, it is his mic skills. They have paired him up with Angle, Christian, Sting, and now Ric Flair...and he seems just as vanilla as he did years ago before any of those guys showed up.

So my vote goes to Kurt Angle.

 

[jellmoo]

I'm not a huge fan of either guy, neither one fits my mold as an ideal wrestler. Angle seems overhyped a lot of the time, and while he can perform well in the ring, I've never bought into his non comedic promos. I think the guy is great when he's using humour, but falls flat when he's being the serious "tough guy".

AJ Styles has in ring ability,but still falls back to spot monkey wrestling a lot of the time. His promos are bad though, wow are they bad. He's a prime example as of why top guys should invest in speech coaches and acting trainers.

Angle gets my vote, despite the fact that I find him way overhyped and nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. TNA has better and more interesting talent that needs to be showcased on a more thorough basis than either Styles or Angle.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

It's ridiculous that people think that A.J. is so damn awful on the mic. His southern accent is seen as a hinderance but he can cut a good promo when he needs to. It's not like Angle is a god with the microphone as I haven't found him interesting on the mic in about a decade. Styles is great in the ring and he understands face and heel psychology which Angle wouldn't know if it walked up to him and kicked his ass. Right now, Styles is better than Angle and has been for the past four or five years.

 

[bsager20018]

No tough comparison here. Kurt Angle. AJ is good but he's still got a long way to go. Let's say Styles retired today. He'd be a blip on the radar screen. That's all. Angle is all around a good wrestler, good on the mic, makes guys look way better than they really are, and never has a bad match. AJ is good, and I never thought his mic skills were terrible. But they aren't great either. That's why they paired him up with Flair. Working with Flair will help him up his game. Marks can say that Flair is too old, but the truth of the matter is that Flair is better than a lot of young guys today. Flair will teach AJ how to work better, talk better, walk better, piss better, and all around just do everything better lol. Kurt don't need anybody and if he retired today he'd have left his mark on the world of professional wrestling.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Overall, I have to go with Kurt Angle. I've watched Angle over the entire course of his pro wrestling career and, unlike most pro wrestlers, Kurt Angle has been one of the very very very select few that's only gotten better as he's aged. Despite all the personal problems that have plagued him in the past few years, despite all the rather devestating injuries that he's had over the years, I think he's better now than he was when he was 30 years old.

AJ Styles is great in the ring. While I agree with LJL that Styles isn't as horrible on the mic as so many says, I personally don't find him great either. I can't help but see his Georgia accent as a little bit of a hindurance because it just makes it harder for me to take him seriously. Now, just about everyone has some form or some degree of an accent one way or another, but there's always a special stigma attached to some variations of the southern accent, like the one Styles has. On the mic, while I also agree that Kurt isn't quite as good as some make out, I do think he's a better mic worker than Styles. I've never had any problems taking Kurt Angle seriously when he's given promos of a more serious nature. When Angle gives a promo, I just get a hint of this barely restrained intensity lurking underneath the surface just dying to get out and I just do not get that with Styles, I never have. And whenever Angle does let it out, it's still believable.

AJ Styles is a better face in my opinion while Angle is easily the better heel. It comes down to believability for me. AJ Styles, for most of his career in TNA, has come across as TNA's favorite son, the shining beacon of the company. In that role, Styles doesn't have to force it, it just seems to flow naturally. With Kurt Angle, I just can't buy into him as a face because it does seem forced. It just doesn't seem to have that natural flow, or at least that's what it feels like to me.

Comparing who's better based on in-ring work is too difficult. Both have proven themselves to be spectacular. But, in the end, I'm just simply more impressed by Kurt Angle overall. Factor in his age coupled with his accomplishments, his problems, his abilities in the ring and on the mic, solid believability and a consistently high quality of work gives him the edge in my view.

 

[Syntax Common]

My first reply to a post or question ever on this website, but had to say something about this! First of all, ANYBODY that says that Styles is even close to Angle, either in ring or out, is certifiable. Period. Its not even close. Its like comparing The Rock to The Gobbleygooker!! Okay, maybe not that bad, but still... Thats all Im saying. I think AJ has potential to grow, but at his age and current status, we cannot realistically expect him to improve all THAT much, even with Flair, the greatest promo guy in wrestling history, IMO.

 

[The Roid Rage]

Yeah, I hate to go with the crowd on this one, but in this case the crowd is right. Between the two, Kurt Angle definitely. Not that any other peoples evaluations of A.J. Styles are wrong or anything, I'd just have to give Angle the edge in that contest.

The Olympic Gold Medalist being just that, makes him a cut above the rest in my opinion. That is quite an accomplishment. And though I hate to drudge it up he did it "With a Broken Freakin' Neck" that just catapults you into legendary status as is. Then when you look at all his successes in both TNA and WWE, I'd be hard pressed to try and make a case against him. His match with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 19 alone, was one of those matches that puts you in a category of your own.

Now in the past I have aired my thoughts on A.J. Styles. I don't think I need to get too deep into it here but lets just say I'm not buyin' him over Angle anytime in the near future, never have. He is a sound wrestler, but I just don't see what puts him above so many of these other guys? Obviously he is talented, but what sets him apart from so many of the other high flyer's/cruiserweights that makes him so great? I don't know. I haven't seen it yet. I have yet to see anything truly phenomenal. This is just my observation.


In the matches A.J. Styles has had with Kurt Angle, I thought he looked pretty good. But who isn't going to look good against Angle? He just has that ability to make anyone he wrestles look that much better. I have enjoyed what the two of them have been able to accomplish together in the ring, but from what I have seen Kurt Angle is the superior of the two.

 

[dbrdss]

Kurt Angle is the better wrestler. I dont know if anyone noticed but A.J is in hhis prime now and Angle is 40 years old. If Angle is 40 and can still keep up with one of the best wrestlers in the world then he gets my vote. He won his Olympic medals with a broken frickin' neck. Oh its real, its DAMN real.

 

[LokiCobain]

Two questions:
Is this who is better right now?
and
You know wrestling is fake right?

I've heard that second question a lot in my life as an avid wrestling fan, and it drives me crazy, but I feel it's necessary for this poll. The question reads: Who is better at winning a fixed match?

The word "better" in pro-wrestling is misleading. Pro-wrestling has more to do with other factors than wrestling, and for the most part, wrestling is secondary. In straight wrestling, Kurt Angle, even at age 75, is better than AJ Styles. AJ Styles is obviously more ninja like, but at age 75, Kurt Angle still does moonsaults. In drawing fans, Kurt Angle is better. In leading a company, Kurt Angle is better. On the mic, Kurt Angle is better.

Do I need to continue?

What exactly makes AJ Styles better? Yes, he does flashy moves, but that's not even close to what it's all about. In every facet of pro-wrestling Kurt Angle takes the case, except that he doesn't do 450 Corkscrews off the middle rope into a DDT. I'm sure Evan Bourne can do that, so I guess he's also better than Kurt Angle.

I never respond on these poll forums because the "who is better?" question is always vague and doesn't actually say anything. This one was just a no brainer and an insult to the entire idea of pro-wrestling, so I felt I needed to say something.