Would AJ Styles Be On NXT

[TUFFY54]

With the exception of the Monday Night Wars, Vince McMahon has almost never acknowledged wrestlers from other companies. With NXT, we saw Vince introduce Kaval and Brian Danielson to the company as rookies that needed help from WWE pro's like the Miz and LayCool to be succesfull. I understand that the Miz-Brian angle made for great TV and was very helpfull in the long run. However, saying Kaval needed LayCool made no sense. We seem to have gone back to the pre-Attitude days were a wrestlers previous acomplishments mean nothing.

If AJ Styles were to sign with the WWE, would they send him to FCW then change his name on NXT? Now, I know AJ will probably never sign with the WWE, but lets imagine what would happen if he did.

AJ is unique today because he has become the Sting of the new millinium. AJ is undoubtably the biggest name in wrestling that hasn't worked for Vince. He is the face of their competition, he was the first TNA wrestler to be ranked number 1 in the PWI 500, and he has been featured on video games and toys around the country. The only acceptable way for AJ to debut in the WWE would be for him to show up on RAW or Smackdown and challenge for a title.

Sadly, I honestly believe that AJ would be sent to FCW to "polish his skills" then debut on NXT with a name like Jimmy Jacks with someone like Chris Masters as his pro. We would have to watch arguabley the greatest in ring performer wrestling today run obstical courses and kareoke theme songs before he got to wrestle.

I think the problam with the WWE today is that every rookie comes from the same place. Instead of finding guys that got over with their gimmick in territories or other companys, every single new "superstar" learns the exact same wrestling style and promo skills in FCW. Since the WWE already has FCW, any guy that sings from another company gets sent their for repackaging. We never get to see what originally worked for them. For the record, I'm a bigger WWE fan than I am a TNA fan, and I realise that these guys agree to their contracts. But it would just be insulting to not give AJ a top spot right off the bat.

People might think it sounds crazy, but I could almost guarantee that AJ would be sent to FCW to get repackaged before debuting on NXT, or at best, a spot on the lower midcard.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Vince McMahon isn't ignorant. If AJ Styles were to debut in the WWE, he'd do it without going to FCW or NXT. He's a multi-talented wrestler and has been the face of TNA for most of it's inception. Vince may change his name if it ever came to Styles going to the WWE, but he wouldn't put him through 'training'. There's no need to. His style of wrestling is universal and would mesh well with anyone in the WWE...

That being said, he wouldn't contend for a title in the WWE unless it was the IC or US titles. Vince doesn't care for short WWE champions. Jericho and Benoit were exceptions to the rule, but Styles wouldn't be. Then again, Vince is known to flip flop from time to time.

But to answer the question, Styles would probably get a name change, but not be repackaged in FCW or NXT.

 

[TUFFY54]

Vince McMahon isn't ignorant. If AJ Styles were to debut in the WWE, he'd do it without going to FCW or NXT. He's a multi-talented wrestler and has been the face of TNA for most of it's inception. Vince may change his name if it ever came to Styles going to the WWE, but he wouldn't put him through 'training'. There's no need to. His style of wrestling is universal and would mesh well with anyone in the WWE...

That being said, he wouldn't contend for a title in the WWE unless it was the IC or US titles. Vince doesn't care for short WWE champions. Jericho and Benoit were exceptions to the rule, but Styles wouldn't be. Then again, Vince is known to flip flop from time to time.

But to answer the question, Styles would probably get a name change, but not be repackaged in FCW or NXT.

I certainly respect your opion Lariat, and you might be right. However, something just tells me it wouldn't happen that way. Remeber, WWE has a very young market right now. A lot of the young fans he tries to appel to probably don't watch TNA. 4 million people watch Raw and 1 million watch Impact. You figure most of the crossover is from people like us, and that leaves a lot of the target audiance that isn't familar with people like AJ Styles.

Vince doesn't like TNA. He doesn't see them as competition and does a pretty good job of showing guys that jumped like Angle, Hogan, and Flair in a lesser light. He knows that he has total control of the wrestling world, and that bringing in someone like AJ really wouldn't affect ratings one way or another. He wouldn't really need someone like AJ, and would probably see making him out to be nothing as a good "fuck you" payback for all the stuff that Dixie and Bischoff have said about him on Impact.

However, we will probably never know because I doubt AJ will be going to the WWE anytime soon.

 

[Caitiff]

Except for one very simple fact. AJ Styles HAS worked for Vince. It's on youtube. Granted, Styles never went farther than Velocity and Metal, but he did work on WWE shows. He did work for Vince. And, he did so under the name AJ Styles.

 

[hdchz013]

I agree with The Lariat. I think even Vince McMahon would recognize (and probably even use) the past accomplishments of AJ Styles. I really don't think that AJ would be placed in FCW and highly doubt he would go through NXT. I just feel AJ is too recognizeable to be placed on a show such as NXT. The only thing I believe would change (again agreeing with The Lariat) would be his name.

 

[TUFFY54]

Except for one very simple fact. AJ Styles HAS worked for Vince. It's on youtube. Granted, Styles never went farther than Velocity and Metal, but he did work on WWE shows. He did work for Vince. And, he did so under the name AJ Styles.

If you look at it like that, so has Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and Chris Sabin. Hell, Brian Dainellson wrestled a few Metal matches years ago. There is a difference between getting a contract, gimmick, entrace music, and "working" for the WWE and jobbing to low card guys a couple of times on shows no one watched. Mick Foley "wrestled for Vince" in like 1986 when he and another jobber lost to the British Bulldogs in 2 minutes at a house show. Mick refers to working for Vince the first time in 1996 as Mankind.

Point being, AJ Styles might have wrestled once or twice in the WWE when Vince had no idea who he even was, but the Phenominal AJ Styles, face of TNA, has never worked for the WWE.

 

[amodernphoenix]

It seems like the first post on this thread was written by AJ Styles himself. He's good, but he's ABSOLUTELY NOT "undoubtably the biggest name in wrestling that hasn't worked for Vince." He isn't bad in the ring, but he's a little guy and he's not too great on the mic. He would need serious repackaging to survive in WWE.

You need to recognize that the majority of wrestling fans out there have either never heard of TNA or never bothered to watch their programming. Most fans don't know who AJ Styles is and don't look favorably on TNA. Talking about his accomplishments from TNA would be like talking about his accomplishments from any other indy company out there. Nobody would give a damn, much like what has happened with Daniel Bryan.

The only people who really support him or go crazy for him are the internet wrestling fans. Listen to the reaction he gets in live arenas. People don't take him seriously as a heavyweight wrestling contender. He looks like a little boy in the ring with bigger guys like Kane or even Cena. I'm no Cena fan, but he talks the talk and has the look that makes the suspension of disbelief not so hard to take. He's a big dude and Daniel Bryan is more of a cruiserweight, same as AJ Styles.

Point Blank- he probably would be sent to FCW and for good reason. He's need to learn mic skills, how to wrestle the WWE style and how to lay nice and still when everyone else is pinning him as he puts them over. Outside of TNA's small audience, he's a nobody. That's nothing against him personally, just his wrestling personality.

 

[roethlisberger78]

Lets face it Vince does some things that makes you sit there and say WTF, but there is no way that he could reduce AJ to such a low level just to make him earn his spot. Someone had mentioned that since not as many people watch TNA so maybe they wouldnt know AJ, but heres two things.... One he has wrestled in the E before, two AJ was rated the top wrestler this year.... THE BEST WRESTLER, everyone who watches the stuff knows of or has seen AJ styles... On to my thing though we would all love for AJ to make the jump but even if he does I highly doubt he would make it far just because he does not fit that type that Vince typically looks for. Yes some smaller talent is starting to get better spots but typically Vince is still looking for that big hugh machine to put out. I think if he did make the jump I could see IC or US title at the most.

 

[Disturbed]

I am kind of iffy on this. I don't think he would be called, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles. I think he would go straight to the main roster on Smackdown with a different name. I read in a magazing, I think it was the 2 in 1 magazines and it said that AJ was offered a contract by WWE and WCW but rejected the offer. SO who knows if he was offered a contract today then he might not accept, however I wouldn't mind seeing him in WWE because he has done everything there is to do in TNA. I want to see him in matches with Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, John Morrison, The Undertaker and many more. I think he would make a good IC champion and eventually a world champ. I don't think he will ever sign with WWE but if he does, I don't see him going to FCW or NXT.

 

[amodernphoenix]

AJ Styles has never wrestled for WWE. He had a couple try-out matches and failed, same as Samoa Joe and half of the TNA roster. They're the minor leagues and any TNA talent outside of the older guys who says they wouldn't rather be in WWE is full of crap. Look at Kong and what she said when she signed. They all dream of one day working for WWE.

 

[Oracular Spectacular]

Styles I believe would go to FCW, but much like Dos Caras(Del Rio) and Danielson he would want to go. FCW sets you up for that WWE style, you gotta think Danielson learned to slow down his style and not wrestle as stiff.

I also think Styles would come in as a recognized name. Most fans know Styles and if he were to ever "jump ship" Vince would want to make that apparent.

 

[Syn]

AJ Styles has never wrestled for WWE. He had a couple try-out matches and failed, same as Samoa Joe and half of the TNA roster. They're the minor leagues and any TNA talent outside of the older guys who says they wouldn't rather be in WWE is full of crap. Look at Kong and what she said when she signed. They all dream of one day working for WWE.

Styles wrestled The Hurricane, and lost after a decent showing for a match on a show noone cared about. It wasn't that he failed, or that any other wrestler that has done a dark/velocity/heat/metal match "fails" it means they were hired for one specific gig, just like any other indy booking. Styles was brought in to lose to Hurricane so that no signed wrestler had to.

Styles was offered a WWE contract, to go to developmental at the time. However he turned it down not because he didnt want to work for the WWE, but because he was just starting a family at the time. He did not want to constantly travel and be away from his wife and new born child. That is something to respect. TNA pays him enough to support his family and make sure they have a future. All the while he gets to see them like what, 300 days out of the year, opposite to what he'd see them if part of the WWE.

As for what would happen if he went to WWE. Who knows. Sure he could get burried, and be a nobody, or get could get treated like royalty (for lack of a better term haha). Jeff Hardy was given no ill will for jumping shift to TNA the first time upon returning and was pushed to the moon before he left the WWE once again. As mentioned by Oracular and I'll continue on with. Vince never recognizes TNA publically, but if he was to sign someone like Styles i think that is when he would. Hes known by enough people, and upon his signing the word would get out to more people. He would pay AJ to come out and publically put down TNA as the minor leagues and how happy he is to be in the "big time". Though he probably do that regardless if he was going to bury Styles or push him.

Styles is universal for the divisions. He may be "small", though hes comparibly as big as the Miz, physically i think hes stronger than the Miz. Styles has tortured racked the 300+ Abyss, and swung him around for a powerbomb. No he wont be picking up the big show any time soon, but at his size picking up Cena and Orton and HHH would be acceptably easy for him. So like with Punk and the Miz, I could see Styles as a champion when it comes to versatile wrestling ability (Hes miles ahead in that department when it comes to the Miz) However the problem would be his mic work. Hes not the worst ever, its just hit and miss, something that people like Punk and Miz have down. However they are pushing Morrison, and his mic work is worse than Styles.

If they decided to allow Styles to do some of signatures, like the backflip ddt, or the pele kick, or springboard 450, in the way they have allowed Bourne for example to keep his shooting star, then Styles could let his actions speak for themselves and get over without words.

Styles can be tagged with someone who can do all the mic work, and they could run the tag division. Or he could be a strong midcarder and be used in the Jericho style of making anyone look good in the ring.

Noone will ever know what would happen if Styles was signed by the WWE, unless one day it happens and we see for ourselves. Theres an arguement for both ways the WWE could treat his signing.

 

[ANT1GOTH]

In my opinion AJ is not WWE material in a good way. AJ is a HIGH-flyer(X-Divison Champion 6 times) so there would be no way that AJ could make it in the WWE if there wasn't someone who could match him in speed other than Evan Bourne. And im not saying this to bash on AJ im a huge fan of his but the WWE is looking for "Batista like talent" not a high flyer that actually knows how to wrestle.

 

[CobraStarship]

IMO, i know WWE would make AJ look like some random amateur. But AJ Styles is in the view of the Wrestling Business as of 2010, the NUMBER ONE WRESTLER IN THE WORLD... It does not get better then that, the industry saw AJ Styles as the best wrestler in the world in 2010 over Randy over Cena over HHH over Punk over anyone in TNA, ROH, NJPW, WWE, CZW whatever... AJ Styles, should be able to walk into that WWE business, and be on Rey Mysterio's (at least)'s level...

 

[Vintage]

Without any doubt yes he would be. One could safely say that the general WWE fan has no knowledge of anyone who doesn't work there so he'd need an introduction into the WWE universe to make an impact!(pun intended..shoot me).

On the other hand, assuming he was recognized, they would milk him for all he's worth to get viewership for NXT. Either way AJ would be on a long road from FCW to Raw despite him having more talent in his pinky than most of the WWE roster right now.

I hope AJ never makes the jump.. it's not that I don't want him to make money because I feel if anyone deserves a chance to make 6-7 figures a year based off talent alone it's AJ but WWE and his style just don't mix and I just don't have any faith in them letting AJ show why he's the best in the world right now.

 

[The HEEL JuiceLee]

There is no way PWI top wrestler in 2010 would be sent to FCW.Now Daniel Bryan was not sent to FCW, but after his 1st dark match he told vinny mac he should.I believe Alberto Del Rio did the same.I could see A.J doing like FCW by choice, maybe 2 or 3 months.Now before 2010 i believed the christian man AJ Styles would stay in TNA. but after time with Ric Flair im sure Ric has told him that he should be in the WWE.I have seen him change in 2010.i dont know if thats just his heel charecter or he has really changed, but i could see AJ going to WWE debuet on smackdown,and honestly i hope he does. I would love to see AJ & PUNK go at it in 2011

 

[mral82]

I say Styles should jump to the WWE as TNA fir the last few years has Shat on him and made him into a sidekick not the main eventer that he was. The E ain't always looking for the Beasts of Hogan and Batista cause they found one in Mason Ryan. and look at all the champs currently in the E only 1 is a big guy and that's Kozlov Styles would be a perfect addition and if the had him have a pro it should be Christian.

 

[Ferbian]

He could end up on NXT, simply for the fact that Vince might either want to piss off the TNA fans, or just because he generally has little trust in A.J if he was ever contracted by WWE.

However, there's just as big a possibility that he would simply pop up on Smackdown or RAW. He'd be able to make it work, because much like Daniel Bryan, he would most likely be offered a main show position. It was Bryan that said not to the RAW position and ended up on NXT, so who's to say what A.J Styles would like to do, go to FCW and train a bit to end up on NXT, or simply go to one of the main shows.

Both of the choices is as much of a possibility as the next one, but I doubt either one of them would happen due to the fact that A.J doesn't exactly seem like he's gonna be leaving TNA.

 

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan, M.D.]

My gut tells me yes AJ would end up going to FCW and on to NXT. As much as I'd hate to see it, and I would, Vince just seems like he would try and bury AJ for not being WWE born and bred. AJ is a phenomenal wrestler and the livelihood of TNA. I couldn't see him leaving for WWE ever.

 

[The Eighties]

AJ is unique, one of the smaller performers in the business who can credibly work with anyone, he's had outstanding matches with former WWE great Kurt Angle and is the most explosive athlete in the industry, Vince wouldn't purposely sabotage that IMO.

I just look at Daniel Bryan and how well he has been booked, even winning the feud with a guy WWE would make their champion a few months later, if Vince is willing to book him like that I think he would put the machine behind the more marketable AJ Styles.

He'd no doubt have to start with a mid-card title but if he got over (he would) then he'd quickly move into the upper card IMO.

 

[hatehabsforever]

If AJ Styles ever had the good sense to jump ship to the WWE, there's no way in hell he'd be going anywhere near FCW, NXT, Tough Enough, or any other developmental, preparatory program or group. He'd be jumping straight to the big leagues, and I believe he'd retain his name in doing so, although i guess a name change would not be out of the question.

God knows I criticize TNA enough, but let's face it, while it is a distant second place organization which is astronomically far behind WWE, it is a nationally televised show which is seen on television across the world on a regular basis. If you are a fan of professional wrestling, if you are a mark at all, you know who Styles is. Lots of people watch WWE or TNA because it is far more accessible, but have never watched ROH or any of the other Indy groups. I, for one, would not know who in the hell Bryan Danielson or Kaval were if it wasn't for wrestlezone as I've never watched ROH, ever. But everyone knows who AJ is, as one of the few remaining original TNA guys.

I think the main reason WWE renames people is because Vince doesn't want guys to make a name for themselves in his organization, then jump ship to the "competition" and exploit their new found fame in Orlando. Vince would not want Danielson, for example, to make himself a household name in WWE, then jump ship to TNA. I doubt he would care if people left WWE and went to the indies or Japan.

This does not apply to Styles. If he wrestled in WWE, people would already know who he is. And if things didn't work out, he'd probably return to TNA, where he is already well known without the help of the WWE. I would not be shocked to see Awesome Kong retain her name in WWE as well (not to put Kong and Styles on the same level).

All hypothetical anyway as I don't see Styles in the WWE any time soon. He must be allergic to fame, fortune, and the spotlight or something. But if he ever did wake up, he'd go straight to the big times, maintaining the name, the phenomenal AJ Styles.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

While proven and well known talents on the indie circuit like Low-Ki and CM Punk, and now Tyler Black have had to go through FCW or other developmentals to learn how to work the WWE way, with no disrespect to any of them, AJ Styles is by far a more well-known name.

I dont think even Vince McMahon would consider burying AJ in developmental before allowing him to make his debut, and I think he would still keep the name AJ Styles too. I think the signing of Styles would be too big to waste sending him to Florida.

He would go straight into the upper mid-card scene, at least where Bryan Danielson is now. Yes, I know Bryan has been renamed and had to go through developmental, and NXT but Styles is a bigger name and I think that while Vince has listened to the fans about Bryan to a degree, I think Styles making his debut would be bigger.

Come on, this guy has been the face of the number2 wrestling promotion in the US for 7 years. He has beaten guys like Angle, Hardy, Sting, Joe, and anyone else and he is a big deal in wrestling. If he went to WWE he would be an even bigger deal