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Superstar of the Week - Week 3 - AJ Styles

  • 12-01-2010 11:39am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,588 ✭✭✭JP Liz


    AJ_Styles_Smaller.JPG

    The Phenomenal AJ Styles

    TNA's finest and best


«1

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,296 ✭✭✭✭gimmick


    AJ, funnily enough, is someone who I absolutely hated up to quite recently. Not sure why I had this opinion - could ahve been the amount of AJ Kool Aid going round.

    It wa sonly when I looked at him again and was a tad more objective that I realised how good this guy actually is. Some of his ROH battles with the likes of Low Ki and Jimmy Rave are just stunning. Some of his TNA work with Daniels, Joe and Angle to name but 3 are also other worldly. If TNA can get it right, they will have a legitimate draw in the mould of HBK on their hands.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,391 ✭✭✭D2D


    The man that brought TNA to my attention.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,155 ✭✭✭Wompa1


    What a talent...alot of what he does is glorified acrobatics but when he gets a good mix of wrestling with those cool acrobatic moves its a thing of beauty...had an unbelievable triple threat in ROH with Low-Ki and Daniels. He is Phenomenal. TNA's top talent


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 219 ✭✭Perrin


    The reason I started to follow wrestling,simply phenomenal.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 142 ✭✭Lone Kimono


    The first wrestler that caught my eye when I first watched TNA. Has been brilliant ever since. If there is one wrestler that deserves his moniker then its 'The Phenomenal one'.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭Machismo Fan


    Best wrestler in the world if you ask me, this guy can do very little wrong and is most certainly by a long way the man to carry TNA.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,478 ✭✭✭Bubs101


    Needless to say the guy is great in the ring but he's far from the greatest wrestler. He has absolutely 0 charisma and very little in the way of mic skills. Daniels is alot better IMO


  • Posts: 3,518 ✭✭✭ Patrick Yellow Pediatrician


    Best wrestler in the world if you ask me, this guy can do very little wrong and is most certainly by a long way the man to carry TNA.
    :rolleyes:

    There is no doubting his in-ring abilities but as far as everything else goes he's pretty useless.
    One of my favourites but he's up there with Sheamus in terms of cringe-worthy promos.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭Machismo Fan


    :rolleyes:

    There is no doubting his in-ring abilities but as far as everything else goes he's pretty useless.
    One of my favourites but he's up there with Sheamus in terms of cringe-worthy promos.

    In fairness, AJ's promo's have improved by leaps and bounds over the last three years to the extent that he's more than competent. That period of goofy AJ during his run with Christian really brought his character.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,510 ✭✭✭Tricity Bendix


    I think I might actually be in love with A.J.

    This is the match everyone likes to talk about when it comes to Styles:


    Although I have to say I didn't like his match with Angle on the live show. Too many finishers. Took from the overall drama of the match.

    His entrance theme is class.


    They book him so weak, though. Always getting jumped and taken out.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    AJ's a really talented guy and one of the smoothest wrestlers on the planet. He has some tremendous, original spots, not least that backflip into a DDT he does (can't for the life of me think of what its called), he hits the Pele kick out of nowhere like no other and the Fosbury Flop (spelling?) is a sight to behold.

    His charisma has improved immeasurably but hes still not got that ability to cut a money making promo like a Main Eventer in WWE would generally have to do.

    But hes not the best in the world either. Hes not a ring general like say a Benoit, nor has the the ability to make pretty much anyone look good like Flair in his prime had, nor is he able to adapt his wrestling style top suit his opponents like the REAL best wretler in the world, Danielson.

    I'm gonna put the cat amongst the pigeons here and say that if say Evan Bourne, (who is every bit as good athletically as AJ) was put in his position in TNA all those years ago and pushed like he was, we'd be talking about him in the same light now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭EdK


    Bubs101 wrote: »
    Needless to say the guy is great in the ring but he's far from the greatest wrestler. He has absolutely 0 charisma and very little in the way of mic skills. Daniels is alot better IMO

    AJ Styles has done something that very few ever do, he has improved wholesale in charisma and mic skills since his early days, Still not a world beater but a drastic improvement, Also who was it that said he had an awful look?,What!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    Although I have to say I didn't like his match with Angle on the live show. Too many finishers. Took from the overall drama of the match.

    THE CURSE OF KURT ANGLE.

    Both men's finishers looked totally useless by the end of that match. Not a good wat to introduce your champion and his moveset to a new audience IMO.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭Machismo Fan


    flahavaj wrote: »
    I'm gonna put the cat amongst the pigeons here and say that if say Evan Bourne, (who is every bit as good athletically as AJ) was put in his position in TNA all those years ago and pushed like he was, we'd be talking about him in the same light now.

    I disagree. I think AJ has that certain 'it' factor that pushes him above everybody else. He has that certain in-ring charisma that Bourne doesn't have plus he can cut a promo twenty times better than Bourne, who is frankly terrible on the mic. AJ is just an epically fantastic babyface.
    flahavaj wrote: »
    Both men's finishers looked totally useless by the end of that match. Not a good wat to introduce your champion and his moveset to a new audience IMO.

    I agree and disagree here, while I don't think Angle should have kicked out of the Styles Clash I think of all the times they should have done that was January 4th. TNA needed that jaw dropping main events and AJ and Angle pulled out all the stops. For me, both iMPACT! and Raw were pretty even in terms of quality until AJ and Angle went out there which tilted it in iMPACT!'s favour for me, that's just my opinion though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    I agree and disagree here, while I don't think Angle should have kicked out of the Styles Clash I think of all the times they should have done that was January 4th. TNA needed that jaw dropping main events and AJ and Angle pulled out all the stops. For me, both iMPACT! and Raw were pretty even in terms of quality until AJ and Angle went out there which tilted it in iMPACT!'s favour for me, that's just my opinion though.

    You don't need to kick out of each other's finishers as many time as they did to have a great match though MF.

    Styles hit the Clash 3 times in the match and even the third time he didn't go for the pin and need the springboard 450 to finish Angle off. Totally unnecesary IMO. A new fan looking at that match for the first time wouldn't evn be aware the Styles Clash was his main finisher after seeing that, it was made look like an ineffective transition move.

    A good contrasting example I'd use is the Undertaker's tombstone piledriver, no one EVER kicks out of that. Then when Michaels actually did so in the Main Event of Mania it was one of the best nearfalls I've ever seen, literally everyone watching thought the match was done. It was a total vindication of the way they had protected the move as a strong finisher over the past 20 years of Taker's career and led to an unbelievable moment. Contrast this to the Style Clash, which is no one will take seriously now. Same with Kurt, no one takes the Angle Slam seriously anymore, it hasn't finished a match in donkey's years and even the Ankle lock has to be put on about 5 times before it has the desired effect.

    I'm a firm believer in finishers being actual finishers, pisses me of no end when they're abused.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,510 ✭✭✭Tricity Bendix


    Angle could hit an Olympic Slam off the top rope and no-one wold actually expect him to get a pinfall from it, ffs.

    I thought bringing in the springboard 450 splash might give Styles a little something extra, but no, Angle had to kick out of that one, too.

    As for Evan Bourne being his equal, I'd doubt that. Bourne just doesn't seem to have the gravitas or the charisma. Styles screams "Look At ME!" whereas Bourne screams "Midcard Jobber!"

    And, as EDK said about Styles' look, what?!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    Angle could hit an Olympic Slam off the top rope and no-one wold actually expect him to get a pinfall from it, ffs.

    I thought bringing in the springboard 450 splash might give Styles a little something extra, but no, Angle had to kick out of that one, too.

    As for Evan Bourne being his equal, I'd doubt that. Bourne just doesn't seem to have the gravitas or the charisma. Styles screams "Look At ME!" whereas Bourne screams "Midcard Jobber!"

    And, as EDK said about Styles' look, what?!

    Bourne has every bit as much in ring charisma as AJ did at his stage of his career. And hes just as smooth in-ring as AJ. If he was given the chances and opportunities AJ has over the past 7 years and the chance to hone his promo skills and presence he'd be just as good I reckon. They're actually uncannily similar.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,153 ✭✭✭Jolt2007


    I have no idea why I was thinking it, but earlier today (I guess yesterday now) I thinking of AJ and Evan and they really are similar. I really don't see this charisma people are saying AJ has. Hell if you took Joe Random and showed him an AJ match followed by a (non squash) Bourne match and asked him which is a top guy the likely response would be "That was two different guys?!" The only thing making both guys stand out is their incredible in ring ability, but in every other way I find them rather bland.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,510 ✭✭✭Tricity Bendix


    flahavaj wrote: »
    Bourne has every bit as much in ring charisma as AJ did at his stage of his career. And hes just as smooth in-ring as AJ. If he was given the chances and opportunities AJ has over the past 7 years and the chance to hone his promo skills and presence he'd be just as good I reckon. They're actually uncannily similar.

    I dunno. I can watch a Styles match from 8 years ago and think to myself "wow, this guy could be a star". Take the inaugeral X division title match. His performance as the gutsy young face made him stand out. I don't want to take away from Bourne too much, as I think he's very athletic and when he's given time his matches are a breath of fresh air. But I think he lacks the depth that AJ has.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    I dunno. I can watch a Styles match from 8 years ago and think to myself "wow, this guy could be a star". Take the inaugeral X division title match. His performance as the gutsy young face made him stand out. I don't want to take away from Bourne too much, as I think he's very athletic and when he's given time his matches are a breath of fresh air. But I think he lacks the depth that AJ has.

    What exactly does this depth consist of though?

    Anyone remember the AJ match Vs Punk in ROH in the final of the Pure Title Tourny? Punk spent the whole match telling the story of working over AJ's leg repeatedly, to the point where you couldn't miss it. Yet AJ goes and ruins the whole thing by totally no-selling the injury once he went back on offfence. Now I'm not being nit-picky here, it was REALLy obvious and really bad, to the point where the match has gained a certain notoriety over the years. Certainly not the work of the best in the world anyway.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,510 ✭✭✭Tricity Bendix


    flahavaj wrote: »
    What exactly does this depth consist of though?
    A good part of it would be the ability to portray a character in the ring, which I think AJ is superb at. By contrast, I haven't a clue what character Evan Bourne is trying to get across. Even when he took the mic last week, I thought his promo was kinda heelish.
    Anyone remember the AJ match Vs Punk in ROH in the final of the Pure Title Tourny? Punk spent the whole match telling the story of working over AJ's leg repeatedly, to the point where you couldn't miss it. Yet AJ goes and ruins the whole thing by totally no-selling the injury once he went back on offfence. Now I'm not being nit-picky here, it was REALLy obvious and really bad, to the point where the match has gained a certain notoriety over the years. Certainly not the work of the best in the world anyway.
    Deffo not the best in world. Perhaps the most exciting in the world.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,478 ✭✭✭Bubs101


    Styles' look is pathetically bad. I find it hard to compare his facial expressions but the closest one I can think of is when Gary Breen scored against Saudi Arabia and looked shocked. AJ does that all the time. Also has a pathetically bad haircut.

    I completely agree with Fla here. The reason TNA fans worship him so much is because of loyalty, not because he has an unparraleled ability.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭Machismo Fan


    flahavaj wrote: »
    You don't need to kick out of each other's finishers as many time as they did to have a great match though MF.

    Styles hit the Clash 3 times in the match and even the third time he didn't go for the pin and need the springboard 450 to finish Angle off. Totally unnecesary IMO. A new fan looking at that match for the first time wouldn't evn be aware the Styles Clash was his main finisher after seeing that, it was made look like an ineffective transition move.

    A good contrasting example I'd use is the Undertaker's tombstone piledriver, no one EVER kicks out of that. Then when Michaels actually did so in the Main Event of Mania it was one of the best nearfalls I've ever seen, literally everyone watching thought the match was done. It was a total vindication of the way they had protected the move as a strong finisher over the past 20 years of Taker's career and led to an unbelievable moment. Contrast this to the Style Clash, which is no one will take seriously now. Same with Kurt, no one takes the Angle Slam seriously anymore, it hasn't finished a match in donkey's years and even the Ankle lock has to be put on about 5 times before it has the desired effect.

    I'm a firm believer in finishers being actual finishers, pisses me of no end when they're abused.

    I agree that three was major, major overkill and he should have finished him with the Spiral Tap rather than a move Angle already kicked out of. AJ has more than enough high impact moves that would classify as near falls without devaluing his finishers, we'll see how they do with their Genesis match, but are ROH not notorious for constant kicking out of finishers? Plus 'Taker sold that kickout awesomely, the look of pure shock on his face after Michaels kicked out was the best facial I've seen in wrestling bar none.

    Being honest I don't think there's any comparison between AJ and Bourne. I've been going through some old TNA weekly PPV's and even back then at such an early stage AJ looked like a future star. Watching some of Bourne's WSX promo's they're atrocious, much worse than AJ back in the Weekly PPV days and I've always thought Amazing Red was a better flyer than Bourne. I don't like AJ just because of some kind of blind loyalty, that's just ludicrous. I honestly think he's the best wrestler in the world, if you said that I could only watch one person's matches for the rest of my life I wouldn't even think twice. Just my opinion though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,510 ✭✭✭Tricity Bendix


    Bubs101 wrote: »
    Styles' look is pathetically bad. I find it hard to compare his facial expressions but the closest one I can think of is when Gary Breen scored against Saudi Arabia and looked shocked. AJ does that all the time. Also has a pathetically bad haircut.

    I dont want to turn this place into the LGB forum or anything, but he's probably the most attractive man in wrestling. In my opinion.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    I agree that three was major, major overkill and he should have finished him with the Spiral Tap rather than a move Angle already kicked out of. AJ has more than enough high impact moves that would classify as near falls without devaluing his finishers, we'll see how they do with their Genesis match, but are ROH not notorious for constant kicking out of finishers? Plus 'Taker sold that kickout awesomely, the look of pure shock on his face after Michaels kicked out was the best facial I've seen in wrestling bar none.

    Being honest I don't think there's any comparison between AJ and Bourne. I've been going through some old TNA weekly PPV's and even back then at such an early stage AJ looked like a future star. Watching some of Bourne's WSX promo's they're atrocious, much worse than AJ back in the Weekly PPV days and I've always thought Amazing Red was a better flyer than Bourne. I don't like AJ just because of some kind of blind loyalty, that's just ludicrous. I honestly think he's the best wrestler in the world, if you said that I could only watch one person's matches for the rest of my life I wouldn't even think twice. Just my opinion though.

    They are to be fair, it gets a bit annoying after a time even for me. I suppose the thing is if thats the kinda match I want to see I'll throw some ROH or Dragon Gate on, but when I tune to a WWE or TNA PPV Main Event I expect them to protect their moves a little more and use a bit of psychology.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    I dont want to turn this place into the LGB forum or anything, but he's probably the most attractive man in wrestling. In my opinion.

    Grizzly Redwood says hello.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,235 ✭✭✭✭flahavaj


    Also the Gary Breen/AJ comparison is harsh.

    When did anyone ever dream of a team of AJ Styles' in fairness?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭fatal


    AJ,what a guy.He is simply phenomenal!!
    Theres not much to say about him that hasn't been said already,but I was a fan of his when TNA first hit our tv screens and i'm and ever bigger fan now.I'm so glad he didn't sign for WWE,especially after that appearance on Heat(I think)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,478 ✭✭✭Bubs101


    flahavaj wrote: »

    When did anyone ever dream of a team of AJ Styles' in fairness?

    Tricity bendex dreams of being double teamed by a team of AJ Styles'


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭EdK


    AJ Styles looks every bit a pro wrestler,are we really discussing haircuts now?,really?


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