10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE Superstar AJ Styles

When the words "I am Phenomenal" appeared on the Titantron at the 2016 Royal Rumble, the collective roar from the Orlando crowd sent shockwaves through the industry.

There stood AJ Styles, dynamic daredevil and world-traveled Superstar, being treated as a conquering hero by the WWE audience.

The reaction was one befitting an immortal, and that's what Styles, through nearly two decades performing as one of wrestling's most captivating and incredible athletes, had become.

Whether he was TNA's ace in the hole for the better part of 11-and-a-half-years, or shining brightly on the New Japan stage, or receiving a strong push out of the gate in WWE, the last decade-and-a-half of Styles' career has been one full-length highlight reel after another.

At one time, it may have been unfathomable for a cruiserweight like Styles to reign for one year as WWE Champion, but that's where wrestling is in the current day.

Let's take a look back at the phenomenal career of AJ Styles...

When the words "I am Phenomenal" appeared on the Titantron at the 2016 Royal Rumble, the collective roar from the Orlando crowd sent shockwaves through the industry.

There stood AJ Styles, dynamic daredevil and world-traveled Superstar, being treated as a conquering hero by the WWE audience.

The reaction was one befitting an immortal, and that's what Styles, through nearly two decades performing as one of wrestling's most captivating and incredible athletes, had become.

Whether he was TNA's ace in the hole for the better part of 11-and-a-half-years, or shining brightly on the New Japan stage, or receiving a strong push out of the gate in WWE, the last decade-and-a-half of Styles' career has been one full-length highlight reel after another.

At one time, it may have been unfathomable for a cruiserweight like Styles to reign for one year as WWE Champion, but that's where wrestling is in the current day.

Let's take a look back at the phenomenal career of AJ Styles...

10. Phenomenal Gamble

Like many of the individuals that we herald as kings and queens of the ring, Styles didn't have it easy in his youth.

By all accounts, Styles grew up in a poor household with an alcoholic father. After graduating from Johnson High School in Gainesville, GA in 1996, Styles would attend Anderson University in South Carolina on a partial wrestling scholarship.

For a man who grew up in a place where opportunities were few and far between, Styles seemed to have found his lifeline.

That was, until Styles was convinced by a friend to attend a pro wrestling tryout. Styles recalls taking one bump inside the ring, and thinking to himself, "I can do this".

Wanting to try his hand in the guarantee-free world of professional wrestling, Styles walked away from that partial scholarship, leaving the college life behind. It was quite a gamble, but when looking at where Styles is today, it was a gamble that certainly paid off.

9. Up Close And Personal

We all remember our first time going to see a wrestling show live and in person. Some of us may have been fortunate enough to have our first show be a major WWE pay-per-view, while others' first time may have been a local indy card.

Your first live wrestling show may have come as a child, or it might have been later in life. For AJ Styles, his first such experience might surprise you.

As revealed in an RF Video shoot interview released in 2014, Styles' first time seeing pro wrestling live was on the night that he wrestled his first match in 1998. He'd never been to a show before, having grown up considerably poor, as noted in the prior entry.

Styles' family also could not afford cable TV, so throughout his youth, he was deprived of seeing much of the wrestling action that would inspire many of his peers. Instead, Styles had to settle for whatever syndicated or cable-access wrestling was available to him.

8. Family First

It's a hidden gem that's not so hidden - in January 2002, Styles worked a match for WWE a local enhancement, losing to Shane "Hurricane" Helms in a five-minute exhibition. The match is notable for Styles taking Hurricane's rarely-seen Vertebreaker finish, and has been a YouTube staple for a number of years.

After this match, as well as an untelevised match against then-developmental talent Rico, Styles himself was offered a developmental deal by WWE.

However, Styles turned them down. As part of the deal, Styles would have had to relocate to Cincinnati (where the Heartland Wrestling Association territory was located), which would have conflicted with his wife Wendy's college education.

Styles chose to pass on WWE's offer, since Wendy's plans were already in motion. Months later, Jeff Jarrett offered Styles an opportunity with his start-up NWA: Total Nonstop Action promotion, which ended up being more geographically convenient for him and his wife.

How different wrestling would be if Styles weren't TNA's star performer from the go.

7. Highest Honors

If you watched both TNA and Ring of Honor throughout 2002 and 2003, you got to see a young AJ Styles tearing up the business with no restrictions or ceiling.

His matches with Jerry Lynn, Raven, and Low Ki in Nashville were just as fantastic as battles with Bryan Danielson, Paul London, and CM Punk for the ROH crowds.

Styles would leave Ring of Honor in early-2004, after TNA withdrew all of its contracted wrestlers from the company. Years later, Styles would concede that early in his career, he preferred Ring of Honor to TNA, considering it his "home" promotion.

Styles would, however, remain loyal to TNA for years after the fact, largely due to financial incentive, because of his young family. Styles would get to resurface in ROH in 2005 and 2006, feuding with Jimmy Rave and The Embassy, while also challenging for the ROH World Championship, held at the time by the current Daniel Bryan.

6. The Action Stops

In the time NWATNA/TNA/Global Force/IMPACT Wrestling has existed, there aren't many candidates that would ace out AJ Styles as the all-time company MVP.

His breathtaking matches and his tireless work ethic put him many cuts above his peers, and Styles never relented in his output during his 11-and-a-half years working for TNA.

Unfortunately, it seems that all of that hard work and loyalty fell on deaf ear as Styles left the company in December 2013 at the expiration of his contract. AJ would later note that TNA didn't even try to negotiate with him until the story of his contract's impending end began making internet headlines.

Even then, when TNA attempted last-ditch negotiations to get him to stay, he was asked to take a pay cut that was more than 60 percent of his existing contract.

All of those years of being the guy that TNA leaned on when times were bleak, or other "saviours" let the company down, and that's what TNA reportedly offered their best performer. It's no wonder he left for pastures new.

5. Clashing With Authority

When Styles emerged as the number three entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble match, the ungodly crowd reaction told you all you need to know about the man's standing in the wrestling world. A crowd filled with die-hard fans that had seen Styles' exploits through TNA, Ring of Honor, and New Japan gave him the rock star treatment, and as a debut, it could not have gone better.

But one individual was still apparently unconvinced. That man, as you may have guessed, was Vince McMahon.

While talking with Edge and Christian on their Pod of Awesomeness, Styles says he heard McMahon wasn't keen on putting Styles in there at number three, thinking nobody was going to know who he was. Despite the wildly-positive response, McMahon was still unmoved, saying that he felt the reaction was a "fluke".

But Styles *does* note that Vince was encouraging to him. After a match in which Styles worked as a typical babyface, Vince challenged him to be more aggressive, saying that he has enough guys who can have that match, and to change it up by acting more like a "freaking pitbull."

Styles says the advice was all he needed to hear, because he knew he could deliver that type of performance.

4. Angelic Name

It's pretty hard to miss the gigantic tattoo on the right side of Styles' ribcage, depicting the letters "AJ" with several dates underneath those letters. Each of those dates are the birthdays of Styles' children, each of whom has the first initial of "A".

And since Styles' real last name is Jones, each of his kids initials are officially AJ.

His first son was born Ajay Covell Jones on May 3, 2005, just 12 days before Styles defeated Jeff Jarrett to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion for the third time at the Hard Justice pay-per-view.

The middle name Covell is a bit unconventional, but it has a special meaning. Covell so happens to be the real-life last name of "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels (birth name Daniel Covell), who has been a close friend of Styles for many years.

It's good to know that said friendship has withstood everything, from bloodbaths to the whole Claire Lynch mess.

3. Paved With Gold

To give you an idea of just how valuable Styles was to TNA (in everything except contract negotiations, it would seem), consider however many championships he's won under the promotion's banner.

From winning the X Division title during the company's first tapings, to leaving the TNA World title by the door on the way out in 2013, Styles had 19 different reigns with a belt while with TNA.

Styles is one of eight men to have held the TNA triple crown, consisting of either the NWA or TNA World, NWA or TNA Tag, and the X Division title. The other seven men have only achieved the triple crown once each, Styles has done so five times.

This includes five runs as the company's world champion, six reigns as some form of Tag Team Champion, and six reigns as X Division champion.

Styles is also the only man to have held the company's Grand Slam more than once, by virtue of his two reigns as the Legends/Global champion.

2. A Trip Around The Calendar

Making it through the feuds with Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe with his WWE Championship in tact surprised many WWE fans, as it finally dawned on everyone that this reign had quite a bit of commitment behind it.

Sure, Styles only got to defend the belt in two PPV main events during that one year duration, but that's WWE for you. And it doesn't diminish the fact that Styles joined rare company with that year-long reign.

As of the week before his title loss to Daniel Bryan, Styles became the eighth different man to have held the WWE Championship beyond 365 days.

Bruno Sammartino achieved the feat twice in the sixties and seventies, while Pedro Morales reigned for nearly three years in the seventies, and Bob Backlund would reign for several years in the seventies and eighties.

From the dawn of Hulkamania onward, the list consists of five men: Hulk Hogan (four years from 1984-88), Macho Man Randy Savage (one year plus six days in 1988-89), John Cena (close to 13 months in 2006-07), CM Punk (14 months between 2011-13), and now Styles himself.

1. Making His Mark Everywhere

It was a pleasant surprise to see Styles reign for more than one year as WWE Champion, a feat not afforded to all that many wrestlers, especially in this modern age. That Styles joins John Cena and CM Punk as the only man to have accomplished the feat this millennium is something worth noting.

Whether he's in WWE, TNA, or New Japan Pro Wrestling, Styles has found much trust as the top dog in all three promotions.

Styles is the only man to have held each of those three companies' recognised World title for more than 300 days combined. His five total reigns as NWA/TNA World Champion add up to 416 days (220 for TNA, and 196 for NWA), while his two runs as IWGP Heavyweight Champion combine for 307 days.

His second WWE Championship reign alone eclipses 300 days, but combined, the two reigns go for 511 days.

That's a combined 1,234 days, or roughly a total of three years and four months as some type of World Champion.

For a man that came from very humble beginnings, that's an achievement that qualifies as "phenomenal."