AJ Styles WWE Network Interview with Stone Cold

When I heard about this interview, I was quite excited. I knew that Stone Cold would ask the questions that I wanted to hear the answer to. AJ Styles starts off the interview expressing his surprise of how well he was received in the WWE locker room.

The interview became quite revealing when AJ talked about his childhood. Growing up in Gainesville, Georgia, with a military father, and trailer park as a home,he didn’t have it easy. AJ discloses that his Dad was abusive because of his drinking problem. He loves his Dad but has a different approach to parenting. Styles father did  do something right by putting him in sports. Playing football in the ninth grade. Diving into amateur wrestling and being lured in by friends to go to a wrestling school, AJ found his passion.

With a short stint in WCW, after the company folded in late 2001, AJ learned the craft more by working on the indy scene and soon after landed a tryout with WWE. He was offered a developmental contract. Unfortunately, he  had to turn it down to provide for his family and make sure that his wife was able to finish college. Which you have to respect AJ for doing that, that had to be a hard decision to make.

AJ found huge success in TNA and I’m so happy that WWE allowed Stone Cold to discuss that huge chunk of his career. As a TNA fan, especially in the early 2000s when AJ was  killing it in TNA I loved seeing his rivalry with Samoa Joe, Jerry Lynn, Kurt Angle, Christian etc. AJ talks on the company with great fondness. He makes it clear that he knew the owner of TNA, Dixie Carter didn’t see him as the top guy. AJ ultimately decided to leave TNA because he was getting  pay cuts and he knew he deserved more.

AJ banked on himself, trusted his talent, and went to New Japan, which was one of the best decisions he made in his career. Some of AJ’s biggest career highlights are in WWE, the 2016 Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania 32, beating John Cena, just to name a few.

AJ doesn’t follow the idea that you can’t make it in WWE. He feels that no one can hold you down if you market yourself to be successful. I think Styles will be a WWE lifer, already looking at an office job with the company after his in ring endeavors. He wants to call that company home,  With the confidence and respect that AJ possesses, he will have a long stay in WWE. Hopefully he gets all the accolades that he deserves. After all, he is the phenomenal one!