How do you view AJ Styles in WWE....so far?

[LWOLeN]

So I just watched AJ/Jericho vs New Day.

 

• The crowd was invested big time in this match.
• They were loud, they chanted "this is awesome" and popped huge for AJ's moves. His merchandise seems to be sold out all over the board aswell. 

Two months in: AJ Styles seems to be great for WWE business and gets plenty of airtime.

 

While many midcard guys are occasionally still met with crickets despite their talent (Cesaro, Neville, Tyson Kidd etc..) AJ Styles seems to instantly click with the WWE  live crowds.

 

I am very happy with AJ in WWE and I get the feeling he fits in. I don't want to miss any of his WWE matches. I believe he is going to be an huge star.

 

What's your view?

[Ian 86]

I've always been an AJ fan so this might be slightly biased but at the moment I'm quite happy.

He's doing something rather than getting lost in the 50/50 midcard shuffle and I'm thinking (or hoping) that the Jericho program is a 'lets put him on TV and see how people react and give him a Mania match' thing before they go somewhere with him after Mania.

 

With the other signings and Balor teasing the BC guys, I can see a Balor vs AJ feud at some point. Again though, that might be wishful thinking.  There's so a lot of potential matches I'd love to see from him - Owens, Rollins, Ambrose, Reigns, Cena or more ambitiously HHH or Lesnar. I'd even be happy to see him mix it up with Joe again - who'd have thought that could realistically be a WWE PPV match in 2016!

 

I think they're on to a good thing with him and I think they probably know it.  The fact that Jericho keeps popping up suggests they still think highly of him so for AJ to have a long(ish) program with him suggests to me they want him to succeed.

[HarmonicGenerator]

I'm a huge AJ fan and personally, I'm just chuffed I can watch his matches regularly again. But I also think he's doing really well. He's won most of his matches, and when he hasn't there's been a reason for it, which, despite what Road Dogg thinks, is really important. He, and WWE, have kept me interested - AJ's segment is the thing I watch highlights of on WWE.com every week.

 

He hasn't had a bad match. He and Kofi have done great stuff together, and Jericho's the best he's been in years - I feel he can legitimately claim to have helped AJ fit right in in WWE. He already feels too big for IC/US titles - wouldn't say he's quite there at World level but I think it's only a matter of time.

 

And he's connecting. There are people who've been on the main roster for years, and I still couldn't tell you their finisher or a single signature move they do. Styles has already got over the Styles Clash, the Calf Crusher and the Styles Smash as potential match-enders.

 

So yeah, I think he's doing pretty damn well so far. Hope he gets a good singles match for Mania.

[Mr_Danger]

A million billion quid says that they'll kill his momentum dead with a Bray Wyatt feud post Mania.

[UK Kat Von D]

AJ survived TNA booking in a way very few other people have managed. For someone who can't talk as well as Roode or Angle that's a big achievement.

 

WWE seem interested in protecting him and the fans actually want to see him succeed. If they continue the path he is currently I can see the fans going full Daniel Bryan with him. I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if everyone is kicking off next year when Styles doesn't win the Rumble

[The Gaffer]

He looks like a playground perv. And I would have been the last person to take issue with guys like Punk when he was getting done in for his greasy hair.

 

AJ Styles needs to look clean shaven with short hair. The current grubby look does nothing whatsoever to hide the fact that outside the ring he seems like complete anti craic matter.

[ColinBollocks]

I don't think it could have gone better, realistically. The fans react to him like a star, he's making the company and himself money. They've also given him a proper story with Jericho that has featured great cameos from the likes of The Miz and New Day - it's further proof of how lazy they are when it comes to their midcard and what can be achieved with a bit of thought and planning. This story has been fairly faultless so far.

 

If they keep Styles strong and continue to push him as a star he's going to do well. For some reason, though, they always seem to lose interest.

[LaGoosh]

It's all going great so far. Can't help but think Jericho is basically booking this entire thing himself. He's known for being heavily involved in his storylines and you can tell because they're usually good and logical. He's made AJ look like a perfect fit for WWE.

[DavidB6937]

They've done a damn good job of introducing him to fans that don't know him, playing up his past achievements and the respect from Jericho etc. But also letting Styles just get on with being himself really. A talent like that doesn't need too much interference but you can see why WWE might be a bit unsure how their crowds would react to him. There's been a good balance and already decent progress from AJ. This RAW he looked like he'd been there forever.

[boytoy]

Jericho deservedly gets a lot of shit sometimes but he is working his weird tits off to make sure AJ looks like the star we know he is. I was sceptical, but he is 100% the right guy for Styles' first feud and deserves a lot of credit.

 

Styles is just being himself which is all he needs to do to get over. Top work so far by all.

[Dirty Eddie]

It's all going great so far. Can't help but think Jericho is basically booking this entire thing himself. He's known for being heavily involved in his storylines and you can tell because they're usually good and logical. He's made AJ look like a perfect fit for WWE.

 

I was just about to post the exact same thing.

 

Whatever you think about Jericho, he's not an idiot when it comes to the logic behind wrestling. He usually comes back with some type of plan for booking that goes over a few months and features a number of key matches - rather than just winging it. It doesn't always pay-off, but this time it has been great.

 

He was such a cheesy bastard last week, hamming it up with the "Y2AJ is the hottest new thing going, baby" stuff. He must relish all that, knowing he's turning nasty heel the week later.

 

Regarding AJ's haircut - I'm not a huge fan, but I don't want clean-shaven, short haired AJ again, he looked too much like a 90s Boy Band member.

[Clinton Morrison]

It's all going great so far. Can't help but think Jericho is basically booking this entire thing himself. He's known for being heavily involved in his storylines and you can tell because they're usually good and logical. He's made AJ look like a perfect fit for WWE.

 

That's a massive benefit of having a veteran like Jericho around. For all the criticism he gets, I think Jericho is quality.

 

Looking forward to Jericho-Styles at Mania as much as the HIAC and more than any other match.

[Keith Houchen]

I view him wiv my eyes m8 lol!

 

Having not watched wrestling for a long time, AJ is one performer who has got me interested. I'd heard he was ace in Japan so I watched the rumble and was made up when I saw him. I've kept an eye on the homophobic prick since his debut and he really is the kind of exciting tv that WWE should cherish

 

I do think the highlight of his career was at International Showdown Q&A though, when I asked him if he'd ever been on the piss with Scott Hall and his comedic chops shone through.

[WyattSheepMask]

What was his answer to that. I've always remembered the question asked but never actually heard his response, and the footage was lost because of some bellend with some sort of scrambler

 

"Have you ever been out on the piss with Scott Hall?" needs to become the Wrestling Q&A equivalent of "How big is Batista's dick?"

[Love-Wilcox]

When I first heard that AJ was signing with the WWE I was absolutely over the moon for the guy, I'm about as big an AJ Styles fans as there is and in my eyes he 110% deserves it. His debut at the Rumble was about as good as anyone could hope for and was one of the most memorable debuts in years. The fans reaction was a great mix of excitement and pure shock that doesn't happen too much these days when everything is spoiled on the Internet.

After the Rumble though I did have my doubts, would the WWE know how to book to AJs strengths and keep his obvious flaws (his promos, which to be fair are much better than when he was younger but still decidly mediocre) hidden away ?

To be fair to them though they've booked AJ about as perfectly as I could have imagined. They are letting AJ be AJ in the ring and involving him in some decent, logical storytelling and that's all he needs to get over with an audience.

 

It's been said in the thread already but Chris Jericho deserves major credit for really putting the effort in with AJ and making him seem like a big deal from day one. I really hope both men get a Mania match as they deserve it.