AJ Styles made a name for himself wrestling all over the world, and by the time he made it to WWE in 2016 he was more than ready for the main event scene.
Styles was briefly part of the WCW roster in 2001, and after the company went under he was offered a developmental deal with WWE.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated The Phenomenal One revealed that he turned the deal down because he would have had to move to Ohio, and he didn’t want to prevent his wife from following her dream of being a teacher.
“I wanted to make sure that she was able to go after her dream. That was very important to me. Mine could come second, so I didn’t take the developmental with WWE in Cincinnati. Years later, it ended up leading me back to WWE at the perfect time.”
AJ Styles went on to sign with TNA, and he accomplished a lot during his time with the company, but Styles believes it’s the work he did in New Japan that earned him a WWE contract.
“That was a defining moment in my career. It showed everybody I was so much more than just TNA. I had a chip on my shoulder; I had something to prove. That run in New Japan is the reason I’m in WWE. Someone, and I don’t know who it was—and I’m not saying it was Vince, because he’s not watching New Japan—but someone knew what I was doing in Japan. I don’t know who it was, but that’s why I’m here.”
