Pro Wrestling Contract Season

[Sphinx]

I might need to go back and watch AJ in TNA but at the time I never thought 'this guy needs to learn how to work'. He was exciting and clearly over. I was a teenager for most of his run so maybe he wouldn't be as much to my tastes now, but I imagine if you'd put that version of AJ in AEW you'd have no complaints. Wrestling's changed and pretty much in the direction of how he was working.

He was good in his first year or two in WWE but has been pretty dull since. 

[Carbomb]

His early years, he definitely needed to learn how to rein it in and develop a character. He did when he joined Christian Cage's Coalition.

[RedTwoster]

In his first few years in WWE he was excellent, but I struggle to think of the last stand-out match he’s had. He’s mediocre at best these days, certainly not worth bringing into a company packed to the brim with tremendous wrestlers. 

It’s not about his age - I’d suggest they sign Sheamus in a heartbeat, same goes for Rey Mysterio - it’s about where he’s at as a wrestler. For whatever reason, he’s just not able to wrestle as well as he once did. 

[DavidB6937]

17 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

In his first few years in WWE he was excellent, but I struggle to think of the last stand-out match he’s had. He’s mediocre at best these days, certainly not worth bringing into a company packed to the brim with tremendous wrestlers. 

It’s not about his age - I’d suggest they sign Sheamus in a heartbeat, same goes for Rey Mysterio - it’s about where he’s at as a wrestler. For whatever reason, he’s just not able to wrestle as well as he once did. 

I do wonder how much of that is on him and how much is simply that he's not had the opportunities to do so. Hard to tell. I certainly don't expect him to be performing at the level he was in New Japan or at the start of his WWE career, but I would imagine he's still capable of more than he's been showing lately. At least enough to make him an interesting AEW prospect for a short while.

[tiger_rick]

46 minutes ago, RedTwoster said:

same goes for Rey Mysterio

God, no. Rey's a great, no doubt, but blokes 15 years past their best playing the hits from WWE should be an absolute no-no. Not that it will happen.

[RedTwoster]

3 hours ago, tiger_rick said:

God, no. Rey's a great, no doubt, but blokes 15 years past their best playing the hits from WWE should be an absolute no-no. Not that it will happen.

I’d be OK with Rey in that he can still go at a very high level, and could have a fantastic retirement year there - Mysterio vs Omega, Mysterio vs Ospreay, Mysterio vs Swerve, Mysterio vs Hangman…all matches I’d like to see. 

I think he’ll want his own son to retire him though, so I don’t think it’s likely that he’ll ever go there.

[westlondonmist]

18 hours ago, Sphinx said:

I might need to go back and watch AJ in TNA but at the time I never thought 'this guy needs to learn how to work'. He was exciting and clearly over. I was a teenager for most of his run so maybe he wouldn't be as much to my tastes now, but I imagine if you'd put that version of AJ in AEW you'd have no complaints. Wrestling's changed and pretty much in the direction of how he was working.

He was good in his first year or two in WWE but has been pretty dull since. 

Thing about Styles is he can have a pretty solid match without getting out if second gear. He's pretty much high level enhancement talent, and has been for a while. Why take risky bumps for all that? His biggest push is behind him

[The Gaffer]

23 minutes ago, westlondonmist said:

Thing about Styles is he can have a pretty solid match without getting out if second gear. He's pretty much high level enhancement talent, and has been for a while. Why take risky bumps for all that? His biggest push is behind him

Yeah, I'm remembering that when AJ signed for WWE the feeling was "If he can squeeze one more great run out with them, that'd be great".

He had that very decent little series with Reigns, two big time PPV matches with Cena, and a WrestleMania match with the Undertaker that all involved have convincingly worked themselves into believing was - in fact - a WrestleMania match with the Undertaker. 

He's basically Nakamura on the surf money (albeit much less likely to surf close to the horizon, for obvious reasons) only he was actually brilliant for them for a bit. 

Plod on, dodgy haired weirdo. 

Edited September 16, 2025 by The Gaffer

[WeeAl]

Yeah no interest in seeing AJ join AEW. I haven't watched WWE in years, but after AJ's first year he was already either coasting or not his old self anymore. The matches with Reigns & Cena (in 2016?) Were very good but I remember the series with Owens being a real disappointment to me at the time. 

Anytime after that, up until I stopped watching, I wouldn't say he did anything that I would label as above 'solid'. 

[TheScarlettChad]

AJ being shit for most of his run is just bollocks. He's still great and AEW would kill to get him if for nothing else, the Omega match from nearly ten years ago that they teased. Yeah he's lost a step but he still has value. 

[Infinity Land]

Just remember an AEW AJ Styles run increases the odds of the Good Brothers turning up. Be careful what you wish for! ?

[WyattSheepMask]

AJ has been coasting for a long time. He had a very good first year once Vince put in his place losing to Jericho at Wrestlemania, but he had some great matches with Reigns and Cena after that. 
Since then there were very good matches here and there, but he’s not had a good consistent few months in a long time. Never anything less than solid from him, but even that will only get you by for so long.

Speaking of peaking early and coasting ever since, is Nakamura injured? Hasn’t had a match since mid June and only had 15 all year (one of which was for NOAH)

Edited September 16, 2025 by WyattSheepMask

[gmoney]

1 hour ago, Infinity Land said:

Just remember an AEW AJ Styles run increases the odds of the Good Brothers turning up. Be careful what you wish for! ?

How can anyone begrudge them getting another contract? They're basically my heroes at this point. 

[BomberPat]

AJ has said for a long time that he would retire before 50, and I'm inclined to believe him. That gives him two years, and his contract is up in January - if he's smart, he gets a big money extension to work through to Wrestlemania and do something to act as sufficient send-off there, spend the better part of a year as a freelancer only doing the dates he wants to, then see if WWE/Saudi Arabia want to throw huge sums of money at him to come in and work the Saudi Wrestlemania the following year.

I generally think that for ex-WWE guys going to AEW, there's only ever really four motivating factors - more money, more creative freedom, a desire to reinvent themselves, or a point to prove to WWE. The latter category is where you get your Miros and Malakai Blacks, and they should be giving them a wide berth, and by all accounts that's the policy these days. I don't think AJ's starved for creative freedom or opportunity, so maybe for him it would come down to whether or not he has any matches on the wishlist that he needs to go to AEW to tick off - he hasn't had a singles match with Kenny Omega since 2006, so long before Bullet Club or any reason for people to really want that match, and he hasn't wrestled Ospreay since 2015. Something like that might be appealing to him, but he doesn't strike me as the "point to prove" type - his point to prove was that he could make it in WWE, and he did, to the point that I wouldn't be surprised if he's a lifer and ends up a producer or some other non-wrestling role there after retirement. 

[The King Of Swing]

Just read over on reddit that Mirai, is leaving Marigold, next month. 

For those unaware, she was one of the handful of wrestlers that jumped from Stardom. And was clearly a favourite of Rossy Ogawa, during her Stardom run. 

Be very interesting to see where she lands. Some are obviously predicting a Stardom return, but I wouldn't be shocked if she goes freelance. 

I wouldn't completely rule out a Stardom return, though. Taro Okada, doesn't come across as the type to hold a grudge and from memory, everyone who jumped to Marigold, were treated pretty well, on their way out. 

Regardless of where Mirai goes, its a pretty big blow to Marigold, imo. She's a great talent and as much as some fans claim otherwise, has always been pretty popular.

The meltdown on reddit after she won the White Belt, was hilarious. 

Edit. 

Should add that some fans are convinced it's a work. I'm not convinced, but we'll see soon enough. 

Edited September 20, 2025 by The King Of Swing