Why is TNA Ruining AJ Styles' Career?

[finkd]

AJ Styles has been with the company from day one. He along with many others, are said to be responsible for propelling TNA to the level where they're at today due to the fast paced action of the X-Division matches. From day one the kid was built as the future. Mr. TNA. Having
won the TNA world title in
September of 2009, he would
hold on to the title for an
impressive 7 months. However,
AJ drops the title to Rob Van
Damn the night after Lockdown in a match on free TV, with zero build. Ever since his momentum has gone down the drain.AJ should be the world champion yet he loses every week.Even Randy Orton once said on twitter AJ is amazing and tna success was due to him.Why is TNA ruining his career?

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

AJ isn't really that much of a draw. I mean, he's a super draw for smarks, but he's pretty much topped out there. I love AJ, been following him since 2002, but he's just not a huge draw. The problem is, TNA can't decide which group of fans they want to appeal to, so it gets flip flopped a lot.

 

[911 JP]

I would say backstage politics, especially since Hogan and Bischoff showed up. They are both renowned for their politics, and wasn't it like right after Hogan showed up that AJ lost the world championship? AJ Styles is an amazing talent and TNA's success is truly a notch on his belt. TNA would be nothing if it wasn't for AJ styles building the foundation of the company. I don't think that TNA is going to push or use AJ in any respectable way anytime soon, which is really sad because he truly is an amazing talent. I hope to see him being pushed again soon and would like to remain positive that he will become something again, but that just seems unrealistic, I believe that AJ Styles will remain a wasted talent till Bischoff and Hogan retire or die, whichever comes first (moneys on death)

 

[Dizzy]

He isn't a draw. He has ZERO marketability. He never had drawn a dime, done anything whatsoever and today's ratings release shows he draws the lowest numbers among the TNA Originals.

He's a 17 time champion in TNA. I don't see how they are ruinging his career by moving him to the midcard. Not everyone has to win titles to be great, Shawn Micheals didn't win shit for a number of years and towards his career end, the last title he held were the Tag Team titles. That's it. No World title or US/IC title.

AJ Styles will always be great and known for the slogan "Mr. TNA" but he is simply never going to be what you, Internet or TNA wants him to be and that is a straight up draw like Jeff, Anderson, Angle.

Right now, TNA is focusing on making Roode, Crimson and Gunner into what AJ has failed to become.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

TNA may be failing to capitalize on AJ's potential. But they are not killing his career.

First of all, the odds are good that AJ will be a world champion again (because he will likely outlast the Hogan/Bischoff regime). However, even if AJ never again reaches the top in TNA, he's still had and will continue to have a great wrestling career. No matter what, AJ is a multi-time TNA champion, a grand-slam winner, and was for many years the face of TNA; that can never be taken away from him. And AJ is still gainfully employed and likely will be for a very long time. While being a main event player is likely every wrestlers dream, the reality is that you don't need to be a world champion to have a great career in professional wrestling. Look at Roddy Piper, Mr. Perfect, Ted Debiase, etc etc.

And if things don't work out for AJ in TNA, there's nothing to say that he couldn't go on to have even more success in the WWE or another company.

All in all, I'd say his career is fairly safe.

 

[gd]

You're spot on here. I remember when TNA was actually not shit, only a few years ago they had one of their rare peaks, and AJ was the shit, yo. He was having absurdly great matches with everyone, even Shane freakin' Douglas, the match where I realized AJ Styles was a wrestling gawd. He continued his greatness with an outstanding series of 3 with Matt Morgan, some of the best matches of the year.

However, TNA fucked up and pulled the trigger early, giving him the title at the PPV before BFG for some reason. He had an average match with Sting at the biggest PPV evah at that point, they abandoned his face title run and went into what turned out to be a disaster with the whole Flair thing and all that. Eventually they just gave up and went into total "everybody in the company has to be in a faction mode", turning AJ's steam and everything else into shit. Who are they pushing now anyway instead of him, Bully Ray?

 

[ChiefAlot]

This thread is a matter of opinion. While it is stated in posts above A J has had his reign at the top. He had it before the Hogan era. Now they are trying to push other TNA entertainers. Finkd sounds to me like you would like him to be like John Cena. The thing is he is just not "it". Hell every one wishes they were it. (and by "it" I mean the hottest thing right now Not Cena) Im sure A J will get another push and get a title reign again but as for now let another guy enjoy the spotlight.

 

[LuChava]

Couldn't you say this for any guy on the roster with any talent? I personally do not get what the point of this company, they have dumbass booking and even worst business management. Think about the guys who have come and gone from TNA. They have have Kurt Angle who can still perform at a high level, Sting who is still a draw, Ric Flair enough said, AJ who works is ass off and still they can't figure their shit out.

If not for spike they would have folded a long time ago.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I see Styles a lot like RVD. The smarks love him and he's fairly over with the "normal" fans. However, he's never going to be marketable or over enough to truly carry a company. A few titles thrown his way, a few big matches, but overall he just doesn't have enough mass appeal. Because of how "smark friendly" he is people will constantly complain about how he's under-utilized just like they did with RVD.

Funny thing is, RVD and Styles are a LOT alike in the ring. Both guys take moves tremendously and make them look sick. However, neither really sells anything for more than maybe 30 seconds. They both have unique, cool looking offense, but for the last 5 years or so, Styles, just like RVD since like 2000, hasn't really added much. I usually don't mind not adding spots, but when your "thing" is that you do cool shit, you have to come up with newer cooler shit.

I'm a fan of AJs, but I don't think he's as good as some think. At least not in terms of "what does a pro wrestler do" and no the answer isn't "wrestle and do moves" it's DRAW.

 

[GrandSword]

I see Styles a lot like RVD. The smarks love him and he's fairly over with the "normal" fans. However, he's never going to be marketable or over enough to truly carry a company. A few titles thrown his way, a few big matches, but overall he just doesn't have enough mass appeal. Because of how "smark friendly" he is people will constantly complain about how he's under-utilized just like they did with RVD.

Funny thing is, RVD and Styles are a LOT alike in the ring. Both guys take moves tremendously and make them look sick. However, neither really sells anything for more than maybe 30 seconds. They both have unique, cool looking offense, but for the last 5 years or so, Styles, just like RVD since like 2000, hasn't really added much. I usually don't mind not adding spots, but when your "thing" is that you do cool shit, you have to come up with newer cooler shit.

I'm a fan of AJs, but I don't think he's as good as some think. At least not in terms of "what does a pro wrestler do" and no the answer isn't "wrestle and do moves" it's DRAW.

I'd like to disagree with you and say it's TNA's depushing booking that is hurting AJ and the guys like him. *side note this thread seems to pop up a lot, which is no disrespect to the OP, it seems to signify that TNA fans want AJ to be on top.

So I'll merge both points. Booking makes stars. It turns good performers into great performers, and great performers into superstars. Now the thing about TNA is..it's TNA, which means it's not WWE or the pro wrestling industry. Those who watch TNA think AJ has the IT factor, and probably think s that Cena doesn't. While the opposite would be for the WWE fans.

therefore those who are watching TNA (the steady 1.2 for the last few years) want AJ on top and that is their audience. Booking has been terrible to the man who built TNA off of his great and different in style matches.

His mic skills are medium and dull at best, but so too were Bret Hart's. The point I'm making is that if you are a great perfomer and the audience want yuo on top then to make money why doesn't TNA listen to their audience and do so?

Vince herad the reaction Steve Austin was getting, put him in a program with Bret hart, did the double turn and abracadabra Austin is the biggest thing ever. All ebacuse Vince listened to his audience.

A lot of people talks about how fat Samoa Joe is and how he sucks etc. But thanks to the way he was booked by a competant booker like D'More, he was a world beater, a break out star who people on the same board in 2005 and 06 talked about dream matches with him against Cena/taker and Angle... which is why when Angle joined, the three ppvs these two men feuded in were the highest buy rates the company has seen to theis day.


When AJ was the champ at the start of 2010, he tore the house down with Angle and then looked right at home standing in the ring with Hardy and RVD.

It's TNA's booking that has let this loyal and hard working wrestler down, and TNA will continue to pay the price as long as it tries to make everyone want to cheer for guys that don't fit the TNA fan like Crimson or Mr Anderson.

AJ Styles is an amazing wrestler and in the ring I don't think anyone is better than him in the U.S. right now, not even Bryan Danielson.. maybe Christopher Daniels

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I'd like to disagree with you and say it's TNA's depushing booking that is hurting AJ and the guys like him. *side note this thread seems to pop up a lot, which is no disrespect to the OP, it seems to signify that TNA fans want AJ to be on top.

So I'll merge both points. Booking makes stars. It turns good performers into great performers, and great performers into superstars. Now the thing about TNA is..it's TNA, which means it's not WWE or the pro wrestling industry. Those who watch TNA think AJ has the IT factor, and probably think s that Cena doesn't. While the opposite would be for the WWE fans.

therefore those who are watching TNA (the steady 1.2 for the last few years) want AJ on top and that is their audience. Booking has been terrible to the man who built TNA off of his great and different in style matches.

His mic skills are medium and dull at best, but so too were Bret Hart's. The point I'm making is that if you are a great perfomer and the audience want yuo on top then to make money why doesn't TNA listen to their audience and do so?

Vince herad the reaction Steve Austin was getting, put him in a program with Bret hart, did the double turn and abracadabra Austin is the biggest thing ever. All ebacuse Vince listened to his audience.

A lot of people talks about how fat Samoa Joe is and how he sucks etc. But thanks to the way he was booked by a competant booker like D'More, he was a world beater, a break out star who people on the same board in 2005 and 06 talked about dream matches with him against Cena/taker and Angle... which is why when Angle joined, the three ppvs these two men feuded in were the highest buy rates the company has seen to theis day.


When AJ was the champ at the start of 2010, he tore the house down with Angle and then looked right at home standing in the ring with Hardy and RVD.

It's TNA's booking that has let this loyal and hard working wrestler down, and TNA will continue to pay the price as long as it tries to make everyone want to cheer for guys that don't fit the TNA fan like Crimson or Mr Anderson.

AJ Styles is an amazing wrestler and in the ring I don't think anyone is better than him in the U.S. right now, not even Bryan Danielson.. maybe Christopher Daniels

Booking does not make stars, booking facillitates them. If you don't have it, no booking will make you.

AJ doesn't have charisma and, I'm going to get heat for this, doesn't wrestle the right style. He doesn't sell long term and seems more focused on cool sequences than telling a story. Which works in TNA, but not as a big time draw. Like I said, pretty much exactly like RVD only RVD had some charisma.

Vince's booking didn't make Austin a star, Austin's connection with the crowd did, like I said, booking just facillitates that. Booking is like a car, it can get you anywhere you want to go, but if you don't know how, it doesn't matter how fast or good it is.

Samoa Joe wasn't a star because of the booking. If that was the case, then Crimson would get way bigger reactions than he does. Joe is just one talented motherfucker who knows how to carry a character and work a match.

The fact that you think he's the best in the US right now kind of shows the type of fan you are. Pro wrestling isn't about moves, or workrate, it's about drawing. AJ doesn't draw. TNA has booked him as a huge star before and he still didn't draw.

Sorry, but AJ Styles is today's RVD. Net darling, pretty over, does cool shit in the ring, but he's not a big enough draw to build a company around.

That said, I DO think Styles should be a main eventer if nothing else, because he's worked his ass off for TNA.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

They're not "ruining his career"... Jesus Christ, son, get a grip.

I have no idea where this internet mentality of 'If you're not first, you're last' came from, but guys working the midcard (yes, even former main eventers) does not equate being "buried", having your "career ruined", "jobbing" or any other totally off-base negative adjective/defining term designed to make things out to be doom and gloom when the majority of the time they're far from it.

Had you taken a moment to actually understand that wrestling is a BUSINESS where BUSINESS decisions are made with the intent to make MONEY, you'd realize AJ Styles has yet to develop the ability to do so, and because of that fact, he was bumped from the main event where he simply wasn't cutting it and pushed down the card to work mid-card feuds and programs where his work rate and physical ability can help overshadow the pitfalls in his personality that prevent him from being that top-end superstar.

You not liking or liking a guy does not make or not make them a main event draw — their ability to actually do so (or not do so) does. When AJ starts selling, he'll be put right back into that position you adored him in. Until then he'll continue to work in the mid-card and help to add quality wrestling matches to TNA's programming and PPV broadcasts. Deal with it.

 

[Dizzy]

Oh.My.God.

Who the fuck cares if AJ Styles put on 5 star matches? That's great but it doesn't mean shit if he cannot help the company, create a fanbase, create marketability or be entertaining.

If you all want to base what he should be, where he should be on his wrestling matches that means you all need to stick to ROH. Where matches matter. Bryan Danielson put on a shit ton of 5 star matches in ROH, does it translate to WWE? No. He has the personality of a stick. He will become the most non-existent World champion (If he keeps MITB) ever because just like AJ Styles, he has ZERO character.

It has nothing to do with creative. It has nothing to do any of that. If you stand in the ring with Sting a week before BFG and you only draw 0.9 (1 million viewers) and YOU'RE the World Champion? You are not a DRAW.

He was a Champion for 6 months and became the longest reigning TNA World Champion. You cannot tell me he was misused either.

Bully Ray has more of a personality than AJ Styles. Bully Ray actually can sell a feud better than AJ Styles.

Crimson and Anderson are LOVED by TNA fans. Internet fans can have whatever opinions but at the end of the day, they are more of a draw than AJ Styles ever has been. You cannot be the face of a company and never made it on the Best Sellers list of merchandise while Anderson, Sting and Crimson have.

Get over this wet dream that AJ should be the saving grace of TNA. He never has and never will be. Ratings from last week's show is a proven example. Again Sting/Hogan/Flair prom draws a 1.4, next segment? AJ Styles/Daniels prom draws a 1.1. He is not a draw. He never will be.

He's the Shawn Micheals of TNA. Nothing more, nothing less. Leave it alone and accept it.

 

[GrandSword]

Booking does not make stars, booking facillitates them. If you don't have it, no booking will make you.

AJ doesn't have charisma and, I'm going to get heat for this, doesn't wrestle the right style. He doesn't sell long term and seems more focused on cool sequences than telling a story. Which works in TNA, but not as a big time draw. Like I said, pretty much exactly like RVD only RVD had some charisma.

Vince's booking didn't make Austin a star, Austin's connection with the crowd did, like I said, booking just facillitates that. Booking is like a car, it can get you anywhere you want to go, but if you don't know how, it doesn't matter how fast or good it is.

Samoa Joe wasn't a star because of the booking. If that was the case, then Crimson would get way bigger reactions than he does. Joe is just one talented motherfucker who knows how to carry a character and work a match.

The fact that you think he's the best in the US right now kind of shows the type of fan you are. Pro wrestling isn't about moves, or workrate, it's about drawing. AJ doesn't draw. TNA has booked him as a huge star before and he still didn't draw.

Sorry, but AJ Styles is today's RVD. Net darling, pretty over, does cool shit in the ring, but he's not a big enough draw to build a company around.

That said, I DO think Styles should be a main eventer if nothing else, because he's worked his ass off for TNA.

I said he's the best in the ring in the US right now. As for Crimson, I see him as John Cena, pushed and pushed and pushed until the fans just turn against him.

See I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you again.

Joe is talented but thanks to the booking he now receives, he's an after thought, and no longer thought of as a main eventer what so ever, where 5 years ago he was thought to be one of the top guys in the US. Why? Because of booking. If Cena was booked the same way as Chris Masters was, there would be no Cenation. And I said that Austin got himself over, just like AJ does, but Vince was smart enough to take that on board and book him as Super-Austin in 98 and beyond.

Styles can chain wrestle, fly high and sell well. He probably has the best looking punch in all of wrestling right now also, which means he is adapting his in ring style to his age and wrestling amore mat based style to prolong his career.

A Styles match is always entertaining and he makes himself and his opponent look like a million dollars. As for a draw, he has never really had a chance. I mean when he was Champ, the ratings were 1.2. On the heavily promoted Hogan debut episode impact went to 1.4. TNA hired Hogan, Bischoff, Hall, Waltman, Hardy, RVD, Flair, Anderson and others got Sting back and with all those new guys and the money TNA would have invested in them, the ratings went back to a 1.0... RVD becomes champ, and TNA goes to Monday nights and TNA goes to a 0.8... and they've spent the last 2 years and guess what it's back to the ratings TNA was getting when AJ was champ...

Does that mean TNA is a mess or AJ is a draw?? Does it mean the TNA faithful fans prefer AJ.. I think it does, and that who management and creative should be catering to, as it loos after the niche of wrestling fan.. that brings in the as you put it... "type of fan I am.."

 

[ECW Sandman]

I been watching TNA sense it came on Fox Sports Network and let me tell you something from the time I first started watching TNA til now I can tell you TNA is not ruining AJ Styles Career it's how the fucking dumb ass booking is, let me say this back in 05 - 06 when TNA was on FSN (I wished I would have got to watch the PPV Shows back in 2002 - 04/ early 05 ) but back to what I was saying the booking for TNA is by far WORSE then WWE granted the whole David Arquette winning the WCW world title its right up there but anyway. I have never seen a company that has flip flopped the wrestlers one week Samoa Joe's a face next he's a heel the next week he's a face the fallowing week he's back to being a heel how do they expect fans to fallow the story lines when every week a face turns heel and then back to face again it gets real confusing after awhile and down right dumb what they need to do is fire Vince Russo and get someone that knows wrestling because this guy has been in it for a long time but the product like the dying days of WCW makes no sense and it just down right sucks as a whole.

 

[a0161613]

AJ can be a draw and they aren't ruining his career, but since the heel turn, they just havent decided on what they are doing. It's not just AJ that's been caught up in this but 75% of TNA's talent has just been treading water since Hogan & Bischoff came in.

To criticise his drawing ability is crazy. he was on top (as champ, the number one guy who was having the best matches) when TNA was at their peak.

 

[The Death Rattle]

I would like to submit this line of thinking concerning AJ Styles. He is obviously right where he wants to be, TNA. He is by far their most decorated wrestler in terms of longevity and championship resume. He is widely considered by the IWC and TNA announcers as the original/most important wrestler in the company at any given time. He is the guy most associated with TNA, more so then Hogan, Van Dam, Abyss, Jarrett, whoever you want to throw out here. And know that he will be TNA champion again at some point. Styles is far from a man with a career in jeopardy of being ruined.

You have to realize that Styles has been vital to what TNA is trying to accomplish with the Hogan/Bischoff regime. He is still putting on terrific, entertaining matches. He is featured on every pay per view, even headlining one with Daniels a short time ago. He is helping the company overall by putting over other wrestlers, like Bully Ray. He was one of the men involved in the Bound for Glory series. He is the leader of his own faction in Fortune. He has been booked as a dominant face and a dominant heel. Styles isn't being buried, he is being used as a valuable asset to help build a federation.

People have thrown out some of the ratings TNA has gotten, with him as champion and without. Keep in mind, that number is roughly a third of what Raw gets on any given Monday. Styles, while a major star in TNA, simply isn't the major star that some want to believe he is. If he showed up in WWE next Monday, he'd receive a reaction. But don't delude yourselves in thinking it would be a massive standing ovation like someone like Jericho got. His value is immense to TNA, and they have used him accordingly. Just like people tire of other guys pushed too hard for too long, the exact same thing would happen if Styles were constantly in the world title picture. Every wrestler has cycles when they are higher up the card then others. Styles is just in the low part of his cycle right now. I personally find it refreshing that a main eventer can step down into the midcard for long stretches of time, and thus swallow his ego, while other men are built up and given a shot to shine.

 

[mlp420]

Guys like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe can't lose with most of the internet. If they're not being booked as perennial main eventers they're being misused. If they get a big push and STILL fail to draw, it's all because of that TNA booking.

On the other hand, if guys like Hogan, Sting, or Angle fail to draw, they don't belong in the company.Where is the outrage about how TNA creative has "dropped the ball" with these guys? No, when those guys don't draw, they're washed up and/or a waste of money. When AJ or Joe doesn't draw, it's TNA "dropping the ball".

When are people going to stop pretending they know what makes a star in wrestling? I'll believe a guy has star potential when that person starts selling out arenas, raising ratings, selling merch, ect. This whole business of "Oh that guy has great charisma and he's a great wrestler! TNA's screwing up with him, he could be a big star!". How do you know that? Jeff Hardy has neither of those, he got over jumping off ladders and painting himself. Mick Foley got over putting a sock on his hand and getting thrown off a Cell. People are going to like who they like, it doesn't matter if they win matches or lose matches, if they're heel, face, tweener or alternating every other week. Everyone knows the stuff is fake anyway. Nobody's sitting at home picking apart how guys are getting booked.

 

[ratedrdestiny]

A constant argument I keep seeing is "he isn't a draw". My question to the people who keep saying that is, who is a draw in Tna? Kurt has been there for years and the ratings have barley moved. Hogan shows up, same thing. I do believe he should be help in a higher regard in TNA. I don't think anyone is saying he needs to champ all year around, but he deserves a higher spot on the card.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I think something is being overlooked here. Was Steve Austin a draw? Yes. Would he have been a draw if he hadn't had Bret, HBK, McMahon, Rocky et al to feud with? Doubtful, he'd just have come across as a Sandman rip-off. The problem I see at the moment in both IW and the WWe is that they just don't have the courage to draw out feuds over a period (with both participants looking equally strong) and hotshotting storylines just confuses casual viewers - "Hold on wasn't X the champion a couple weeks ago [when I last watched], so where has he gone now? Why isn't he trying to get his belt back?"

Make no mistake, AJ is TNAs go-to guy. They know that he'll make a guy look great (Ray), they know they can hand him any belt and it will be elevated during his reign (or even a PPV - Destination X was pretty much built on him) & they know that wherever he is on the card, the fans will support him. Style's is TNA's HBK equivalent, he'll never be the biggest draw but he'll always be a safe bet for match of the night.

 

[marker]

AJ had years in TNA to show any potential to draw money for tna. If he was actually drawing something other than posts on this forum, he would be the top guy in tna by now. If he was selling out t-shitrs and ppv buys, he would never be removed from the world title scene. He doesn't draw, so he is not in the top spot. It is just that simple. Sting, Hardy, angle draw, or at least they have a history of making many. Thus they have a focal spot in tna.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

AJ had years in TNA to show any potential to draw money for tna. If he was actually drawing something other than posts on this forum, he would be the top guy in tna by now. If he was selling out t-shitrs and ppv buys, he would never be removed from the world title scene. He doesn't draw, so he is not in the top spot. It is just that simple. Sting, Hardy, angle draw, or at least they have a history of making many. Thus they have a focal spot in tna.

Is Destination X that far back in the memory? I seem to remember that AJ was in the top spot for that. If AJ had no history of drawing as you say, do you think they would have devoted a whole PPV to the style that he was the main protagonist off?

Just because he is not at the forefront of the title scene at the moment, does not mean he will not be again. Simple fact is that IW are currently using other guys to attempt to give the main event scene a feeling of not always featuring the same four or five faces, to do this some of the regular contenders are required to find other storylines to keep them relevant. AJ versus Daniels is pretty much a fan boys dream, he's hardly been dropped to EY comedy status.

 

[Sub-Xero]

About half of the posters saw that AJ doesn't draw, while half of the posters have said that TNA are fucking AJ up. You're both about half right. The problem here is that TNA doesn't draw. It doesn't matter who's on the card, who's on the show, who's Running the show, TNA will not draw. Vince had from 2001 to about 2005 or so, whenever TNA got its cable deal, to build up in viewers' minds what sports entertainment is supposed to look like. He was basically running unopposed as Emperor of Wrestling. The fans got used to a certain style and format, and that's what they wanted.

AJ Styles and TNA in general do not fit that mold. for AJ to draw, he would need the exposure that TNA simply cannot give him. So, in a way, TNA is ruining AJ's career. In Mexico, he would be a superstar, in WWE he would be a perrenial IC or Tag Team champion. In TNA, he's the best they've got, but when a wrestler cuts a promo, and there's nobody listening, does he make a difference?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Is Destination X that far back in the memory? I seem to remember that AJ was in the top spot for that. If AJ had no history of drawing as you say, do you think they would have devoted a whole PPV to the style that he was the main protagonist off?

Just because he is not at the forefront of the title scene at the moment, does not mean he will not be again. Simple fact is that IW are currently using other guys to attempt to give the main event scene a feeling of not always featuring the same four or five faces, to do this some of the regular contenders are required to find other storylines to keep them relevant. AJ versus Daniels is pretty much a fan boys dream, he's hardly been dropped to EY comedy status.

Yes, because that Pay-Per-View was designed to be a nostalgic kick to help revitalize the X Division which he is again no longer wrestling in. He may have been one of the pioneering wrestlers during that time, but so too were a handful of others, many of whom aren't even with the company any more, so what makes AJ so special there? Worse yet, how exactly is the ability to work a card featuring a number of returning faces and match-ups a kin to being a draw? Being a draw means you can consistently sell merch and put asses in seats.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

First I'm gonna say is when did Randy Orton write that? Secondly Randy Orton isn't exactly a huge draw either (case and point Smackdowns ratings since he came to the show).

Now onto the topic at hand. TNA has NOT ruined AJ Styles career, if it wasn't for TNA 90% of this board wouldn't even know who AJ Styles was. TNA pushed AJ Styles to the moon numerous times in the past. The 1st 3 years of TNA's existence was basically the Jeff Jarrett and AJ Styles show.

I'll also say this, right now TNA is looking for someone who can draw people in and grow their audience and the truth is AJ just isn't that guy. He is fantastic in the ring, was in one of my all time favorite matches but that's where it ends for AJ Styles. He has no personality and isn't too good on the mic either. The only thing AJ has going for him is his skills in the ring, that's where it ends for him.

AJ may have helped put TNA on the map (with others) but he isn't the guy that can bring them to new heights, simple as that, no personality, lack of charisma and lacks the x-factor.

Say what you want but over the last decade TNA has treated AJ like gold for the most part and frankly AJ owes his entire career to TNA whether you like it or not. If AJ was in lets say WWE, he would be a life time midcarder, TNA gave him his first real push and put him at the top of the mountain for a long, long time. In all fairness, what more could have TNA done for AJ Styles.