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AJ Styles explains NXT appearance: 'It was kind of my call'
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
AJ Styles is one of the few WWE Superstars of this generation to bypass NXT and start on the main roster, yet it turns out his recent brush with the brand was something he proposed himself.
On this week’s brand new "Out of Character with Ryan Satin," Styles revealed his feud with up-and-comer Grayson Waller came about after he got tired of seeing people brought up from development only to fail on Raw or SmackDown.
Subscribe to the "Out of Character with Ryan Satin" podcast feed on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for more candid conversations with your favorite Superstars, legends and on-air talent each week!
"It wasn't really a surprise, because it was kind of my call," AJ revealed when asked about his recent outing in NXT 2.0.
"I thought it would be a good idea for guys like myself to go down to NXT and really say, 'This is what we do on Raw and SmackDown, so when you come up there are no surprises, no nothing. This is what we expect, these are the rules. By the way, they are little bit different than NXT, but this is what they are up here.'"
"We're talking about guys who dreamed about doing something. When they say, 'Nah, we don't want you,' you're crushing their dreams. And who knows what else, their confidence? I don't want that to happen. I know how that hurts."
"I was in WCW for a couple of months and then got my dreams crushed. Best thing that ever happened to me, because I wasn't ready to be in WWE at the time. [But] I don't want that to happen and don't want to see that happen to anyone. If they are not ready, then we'll keep them down there, so they can be. It's up to them whether or not they progress. I just didn't want to see them come up to main roster and be sent home."
Styles first appeared on NXT 2.0 to confront Waller back in December after the brash Superstar continued to talk smack about him on Twitter. Grayson then showed up on Raw afterward to keep things going.
The two eventually clashed in the ring at NXT: New Years Evil, where AJ picked up the win following an impressive outing for the Aussie Superstar.
Speaking on the feud, Styles admits that when making the call to work with someone in NXT, Waller was not someone he personally chose for an opponent. That decision was made by someone else.
Looking back on it, however, he glowingly approves of their choice.
"I did not handpick him. He was handpicked by someone else, but it was great. I'm a very hard-hitting kind of guy, and I like to get snug," AJ explained. "I told him what I wanted, and he brought it. I was like, 'Yes!' It takes me to a different level. When I get hit, I'm like, 'Let's go.' I like that. He brought it and it was great."
After nearly a year of mentoring a 7-foot, 3-inch giant on WWE TV, it shouldn’t surprise you to hear that AJ Styles at 44 years old is focused on passing his knowledge onto new stars like Grayson Waller and Omos.
Styles has made a career out of impressing people in the ring and now, in his veteran years, he’s looking to give back to a new generation so they can do the same — even if he has to do it one by one.
"I love what I do, but I want to see it progress and see it throughout the years. If we don't make new superstars, then it's just going to dwindle away into nothing."
AJ Styles will challenge for the WWE title on February 19 inside of the Elimination Chamber in a match that includes champion Bobby Lashley, Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Riddle and Austin Theory.
For more with "The Phenomenal One," listen to this week’s "Out of Character" on major podcast platforms or watch the video below.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
