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Even prior to his debut in the WWE, AJ Styles was known as one of the greatest wrestling
talents in recent memory. He put on amazing matches in TNA where he was the promotion’s
top guy, and even took his talents to Japan where he made a huge splash. Since he’s
still a relatively new product for WWE fans, here are 5 things you probably didn’t know
about AJ Styles. Though Styles’ WWE debut was at the 2016
Royal Rumble, he has worked in the WWE before, although he wasn’t technically employed.
In 2002, AJ faced off against The Hurricane at a WWE event in what was essentially a dark
match. For those who don’t know, dark matches are ones that take place before a televised
event, but are not meant to be taped themselves. However, this match actually did get aired
and has also made its way to the internet. It’s worth noting that at this time Styles
was offered a developmental contract with WWE, but turned it down due to having to relocate
his family. When he’s not entertaining thousands on
live television, AJ Styles can often be found playing video games. Styles openly proclaims
his love for gaming in interviews and has stated it’s his number one hobby. This goes
beyond casual gaming though, as fans have seen Styles playing on his Nintendo 3DS while
sitting at merchandise tables. He even owns a portable gaming briefcase that allows him
to play his Xbox One on the road! His favourite games though are on his coveted Nintendo 64
console, which he still plays on today. Another thing you might not know, AJ Styles
was once involved in a “scandal” with the gay community. Back in the early 2000’s
AJ called a fellow wrestler a “***” on live television as well as other incidences
of using gay slurs in interviews. It’s worth noting that this was a time where this kind
of language was more common, though still offensive nonetheless. See, AJ Styles is a
very religious man. A devout Christian that places God and family above all. This is another
reason many think Styles is homophobic, as some claim Christianity is intolerant of homosexuals.
However, Styles has come out saying he has no problem with the gay community.
In New Japan Pro Wrestling, there is a faction called The Bullet Club. The heel group is
amongst the hottest acts in the company and were previously lead by who WWE fans know
as Finn Balor back in 2014. Just as Balor made his move to the WWE, AJ Styles jumped
in to take his place. While in Japan Styles had a ton of success, winning the IWGP Heavyweight
Championship twice. He was the first American to win the championship since Brock Lesnar,
and one of only 6 non-Japanese wrestlers to ever hold the title.
In a funny case of peer-pressure actually doing some good, AJ Styles only got into pro-wrestling
after a couple of his friends repeatedly asked him to join them at a wrestling school. Styles
had no interest in the sport, as he had never really watched it as a kid due to growing
up in a poor household with no cable. However when he attended the school, he learned he
was a natural, easily besting his friends. From there Styles had professional training
under Rick Michaels, which put him on the path to an extremely successful career.
And those are 5 things you probably didn’t know about AJ Styles. If you enjoyed the video
please give it a thumbs up and subscribe for more wrestling videos. As always, thank you
for watching!