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Tag: AJ Styles

  • Video: AJ Styles’ First Interview As A WWE Superstar

    Video: AJ Styles’ First Interview As A WWE Superstar

    WWE filmed an interview with AJ Styles prior to the Royal Rumble began on Sunday. Shortly after he arrived at the Amway Center in Orlando, Styles answered some questions for WWE.com in a video that was released after his surprise entrance in the 30-man battle royal.

    Related: AJ Styles’ Management Said TNA Lied About Contract Situation

    Styles is scheduled to be backstage at Monday’s RAW, and WWE.com teased that he may appear on the show, writing: “Following his successful and jaw-dropping Royal Rumble Match appearance, might the worldwide sensation emerge once again on Raw?”

    You can watch the video of AJ Styles’ debut here.

    Related: WWE Royal Rumble 2016 Results

  • AJ Styles Makes His WWE Debut At The Royal Rumble (Video)

    AJ Styles Makes His WWE Debut At The Royal Rumble (Video)

    After lots of speculation, the rumors turned out to be true and AJ Styles has made his official WWE debut. Styles was a surprise entrant in the 30-man Royal Rumble match on Sunday. He entered the match as the #3 entrant, and was eventually eliminated by Kevin Owens. Owens yelled “welcome to WWE” at Styles before throwing him over the top rope. The crowd was chanting “AJ Styles” as he was walked to the back by a ref.

    Styles is expected to be backstage at Monday’s RAW. There’s no word on if he’ll appear on the show as of this writing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMQogEkyUL8

    Related: WWE Royal Rumble 2016 Results

  • AJ Styles Arrives Backstage At Amway Center For Royal Rumble

    While there’s still no solid word on when his actual debut will be, AJ Styles has arrived backstage at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. This confirms previous reports that Styles would at the very least be backstage for The Royal Rumble. Styles arrived at the arena on Sunday afternoon.

    Styles is also expected to be backstage at Monday’s RAW. There’s no word on if any of the other Bullet Club members rumored to join WWE are in the house or not.

    Stick with us for ongoing Royal Rumble coverage all day and night right here on SEScoops.com.

  • The Bullet Club Says Farewell To Ring Of Honor (Video)

    The Bullet Club Says Farewell To Ring Of Honor (Video)

    Saturday marked AJ Styles’ send off from Ring Of Honor wrestling. At their live event in Duluth, GA, Styles cut a promo about his time in ROH before the show actually started.

    https://twitter.com/craighermit/status/691095005696540672

    Later after the main event, Styles, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, and The Young Bucks all hit the ring for a special moment. The five stars met in the middle of the ring and embraced, as you can see in the below video from Matt Jackson.

    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/691124641105100800

    Styles will be backstage at the Royal Rumble tonight. We’ll have live play-by-play coverage of the 2016 Royal Rumble right here on SEScoops.com tonight.

    Related: Final Card For The 2016 WWE Royal Rumble

  • AJ Styles’ Management Issues Statement On TNA Claims

    Bill Behrens has worn many hats in the wrestling business for at least two decades, from television syndicator to promoter to booking agent to management to legal representation. He currently serves as those last three for AJ Styles (real name Allen Jones). In light of TNA’s statement claiming that Styles (as well as Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) backed out of signed agreements to join the promotion, Behrens issued the following statement to PWInsider.com:

    No contract was ever finalized nor signed by the parties.

    That I would need to be involved in the contract process was known by TNA prior to my involvement and understood by them.

    TNA and its 1st lawyer did not present in a timely fashion a contract that accurately reflected previous discussions at all. That created great concern tied to past experiences. In that time and prior there was other interest and there were other firm offers on the table and other discussions.

    TNA was aware of other interest and various conflicts. TNA was aware a final contract was required. It was creating that contract and controlled that timetable. Too much time passed early on. Other things came into play. No contract was ever finalized with TNA.

    To suggest I make any decision for my clients is to misunderstand my role and diminish the role each talent has in making their own decisions, and insults the talent in the process.

    The statement came following PWInsider’s lengthy report on the matter from last night, where Mike Johnson outlined the basics of the situation:

    TNA badly wanted Styles back, with the feeling that his departure badly damaged the the company since he was their big home-grown star a la Sting in WCW. They started talking in November, and Styles brought up the possibility of Gallows and Anderson also coming in. His Bullet Club stablemates were unhappy over their split of the Bullet Club merchandise profits with New Japan Pro Wrestling and looking for a change of scenery. The trio met with Dixie Carter, John Gaburick, and other TNA staff at Carter’s house on December 14th and the TNA side felt the meeting went great, with a plan in place for a surprise Styles return in a pretape on the Pop TV debut show. From there, when the long form contracts were to be finalized, TNA took their time (and were slowed down by the holidays), a better offer came in (presumably from WWE), and the wrestlers decided not to make the deal.

    (So yes, it looks like this may have had little to do with WWE raiding NJPW. It just looked that way with Shinsuke Nakamura also leaving and Mauro Ranallo being tapped as the new voice of SmackDown.)

    Exactly what was signed or agreed to is where Johnson’s version and the other stories going around start to conflict with each other. The TNA side is clearly swearing that Styles and company signed something, but if they did, it wasn’t their actual contract, as noted by Behrens in his statement. From there, accounts include:

    The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. One person with knowledge of the situation posited to me that if they did sign anything, it was nothing that would be legally binding, which fits with TNA issuing the statement without taking or even threatening legal action. Johnson’s article does include the TNA claim that Styles was sent plane tickets to go to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but your mileage may vary if that actually proves anything.

  • Report: TNA Opens Itself To Lawsuit Over Bullet Club Claims

    TNA issued a statement on Friday claiming that AJ Styles, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson had backed out of signed contracts with them, and now, the plot thickens. Dave Meltzer of WrestlingObserver.com reported this weekend that the three wrestlers “didn’t sign sh*t” with TNA. “In the case of Anderson,” Meltzer continued, “TNA opened itself up to a [contract] tampering lawsuit with New Japan.”

    Anderson’s NJPW contract reportedly expires next week, so it would be impossible for Anderson to sign with TNA without contract tampering by TNA.

    Related: TNA Issues Statement Claiming AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, & Karl Anderson Backed Out Of A Signed Deal

    At least one of the three wrestlers may have merely used TNA to drive up their price for a WWE contract. “One of the three for sure, if not all three, were not looking at TNA for leverage for WWE,” Meltzer reported, “and it was WWE going to them after hearing they may go to TNA and making a better offer.”

    There is speculation that TNA’s legal threat may be an attempt to “scare” WWE into not going through with plans for AJ, Gallows, and/or Anderson. Styles is expected to be backstage at the Royal Rumble on Sunday.

    Related: The Latest On AJ Styles To WWE, Potential Spoilers

  • TNA Issues Statement Claiming AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, & Karl Anderson Backed Out Of A Signed Deal

    Note: Since TNA’s website has been going down, you can also try Google Cache and Archive.is mirrors of their statement on this matter.

    TNA has just made one of the strangest moves in company history. Think of the ground that covers. A little while ago, they posted a statement on their website saying that AJ Styles (real name Allen Jones), Doc Gallows (real name Drew Hankinson), and Karl Anderson (real name Chad Allegra) had committed verbally and in writing to signing to TNA in December, though they hadn’t signed final contracts yet. According to TNA, this happened after a meeting at Dixie Carter’s Nashville, Tennessee home on December 14th where, and afterwards, merchandise was designed on top of plane tickets being mailed. The claim is that this all fell apart over the Christmas holiday, when the wrestlers broke off communication before signing their long-form agreements. According to the statement, “AJ’s lawyer contacted TNA and stated the wrestlers had changed their mind and would not be honoring their commitment to TNA.”

    The initial reaction I’ve seen seems to be that TNA, having taken this tact and not threatening legal action in the statement is significant. Why? It comes off like they don’t have confidence in being able to take legal action against Styles et al or the promotion they’re signing with (presumably WWE). On top of that, Anderson/Allegra was still under contract to New Japan Pro Wrestling while all of this was going on, which seems like it might not be the best thing to admit publicly. Either way, unless TNA is simultaneously serving the wrestlers and their destination promotion (again, presumably WWE) with legal action, it seems like something is missing from their version of the story.

    It’s worth noting that in 2012, TNA sued former talent relations coordinator Brian Wittenstein as well as World Wrestling Entertainment after WWE hired him and, unsolicited, he offered up a file of TNA contract information. In the complaint, TNA said that “The disclosure exposes TNA to potential liability with respect to its contract — WWE knows the details of TNA’s contractual relationships with its wrestling talent, which could allow WWE to place itself in the right place, at the right time, with an offer to TNA’s talent at just the right place.”

    It was alleged that Ric Flair tried to back out of his TNA contract right after Wittenstein gave the information to WWE, but also that WWE quickly told TNA what happened. WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt said at the time that “Our reaction is that no good deed ever goes unpunished. What the WWE did here is what you would hope any company would do in these circumstances it found itself in.” TNA dropped the lawsuit in 2012, but as it was going on, everyone in WWE treated TNA talent as radioactive, with Gerald Brisco reportedly being told he couldn’t even visit his son Wes (a TNA wrestler) in the hospital.

    More on this story as it develops…

  • AJ Styles Replies To John Cena’s Instagram Post Of Him

    AJ Styles Replies To John Cena’s Instagram Post Of Him

    John Cena posted an old photo of AJ Styles on his Instagram on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the former TNA champ replied. AJ posted a vintage picture of Cena with spiked hair on his Instagram, with no caption, just like Cena’s post.

    Styles is booked to make his “final appearance” for Ring of Honor this Saturday in Duluth, GA, then will reportedly travel to Orlando where WWE is hosting the Royal Rumble on Sunday. You can get the latest details and possible spoilers on AJ Styles right here.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BAz9RWNMZte/

    Here’s Cena’s post from Wednesday:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BAwoS4qmKMg/

    Do you think AJ will debut at the Royal Rumble on Sunday? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

  • Video: AJ Styles Speaks On WWE, Says He’s Currently In His Prime

    Video: AJ Styles Speaks On WWE, Says He’s Currently In His Prime

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ0sGf8F3Tk

    AJ Styles was interviewed while in the UK, and when asked about the possibility of joining WWE, here’s what he had to say:

    “I’m always going to do what’s best for my family. That’s my first priority, my job is to take care of them, anyway that I can and wherever that business takes me that helps them then that’s where I’ll go,” Styles told The Tag Rope.

    Styles said it was a blessing in disguise that WWE didn’t sign him after WCW was acquired in 2001. Styles feels he is now in his prime, saying “I’ve fallen in love with everything about pro wrestling.”

    “To me the moves are easy, it’s the little things in between the moves that make the difference,” the former TNA champ said. “I wasn’t ready to be in WWF at the time, it was great going back to the indies [after WCW] and really learning. I had learned so much going to Ring of Honor. It was the best thing that could have happened.

    “The truth of the matter is,” Styles continued, “guys don’t get very good until they’re in their 30’s. It’s that experience you need in your 20’s to be a star in your 30’s, and when you’re in your 30’s you finally get it. It’s all about experience.

    “It’s not that I don’t do some of the moves I used it, I just do them at the right time.”

    Styles is expected to sign with WWE and make his debut in the near future.

    Related: The Latest On AJ Styles To WWE, Potential Spoilers

  • The Latest On AJ Styles To WWE, Potential Spoilers

    The Latest On AJ Styles To WWE, Potential Spoilers

    If you haven’t heard by now, AJ Styles is probably headed to WWE! It’s been an exciting few weeks ever since Dave Meltzer news broke the news, with the WWE website and even John Cena getting on board the hype train.

    On Wednesday, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that AJ Styles is scheduled to begin working for WWE over the coming week. He will be at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view as well as Monday’s RAW from Miami and Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Tampa.

    Styles has been wrapping up his final independent appearances over the past few weeks, dropping Revolution Pro’s championship last weekend and telling fans at that show that he’s ready to kick some ass in the Royal Rumble if WWE has a spot available for him. It was also last weekend that PWTorch.com reported that WWE made Styles a “blow-away” offer that could not be matched by NJPW, ROH or TNA.

    Styles will be making a final appearance for Ring of Honor on Saturday night from Duluth, GA where he’ll be signing autographs. The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that at this time, ROH is not allowed to air footage of Styles on their weekly show on Comet. This is similar to Samoa Joe being allowed to make a final non-televised appearance for ROH before joining NXT and a sign that AJ Styles’ WWE contract has either been signed or agreed to.

    Whether he appears in the Royal Rumble as a surprise entrant (the original plan, before it got out) or debuts the following night on RAW, Styles will joining the main roster without having to spend time in NXT.

  • John Cena Posts Instagram Photo Of AJ Styles

    John Cena Posts Instagram Photo Of AJ Styles

    With AJ Styles rumored to be making his WWE debut in the near future, John Cena  posted a photo Styles on Instagram this morning. WWE.com has even published an article making note of Cena’s cryptic post, further fueling speculation that the Phenomenal one is WWE-bound.

    Styles will be mkaing his “final appearance” for Ring of Honor this Saturday in Duluth, GA, the night before the Royal Rumble.

    Click here for the latest details on when AJ Styles is expected to debut in WWE.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BAwoS4qmKMg/

  • AJ Styles Making “Final Appearance” For ROH The Night Before The Royal Rumble

    AJ Styles Making “Final Appearance” For ROH The Night Before The Royal Rumble

    Ring of Honor has announced that AJ Styles will be having his “send off” from the company at this weekend’sWinter Warriors live event in Duluth, GA. The event takes place January 23rd, the night before WWE’s Royal Rumble.

    “The best wrestling on the planet, Ring of Honor, will bring another great night of action to the Atlanta area on Saturday, January 23rd, 2016. We will be making our debut at the Infinite Energy Center (Formerly the Gwinnett Center) with a 7:30PM bell time!

    In addition to the hard-hitting, fast-paced professional wrestling that only ROH showcases, fans in Duluth with have an opportunity to send off ROH Legend and hometown star “The Phenomenal One” AJ STYLES!

    Styles will be appearing live in Duluth to sign autographs and take photos with the BEST FANS ON THE PLANET! A cornerstone of ROH since its inception in 2002, Gainesville, GA’s Styles has become one of the most accomplished stars in professional wrestling, capturing a litany of major titles including, most recently, the IWGP World Championship! Don’t miss your chance to meet and greet this ROH Legend at his LAST ROH APPEARANCE – you just don’t know where you may see him next!”

    The show will feature talent from New Japan Pro Wrestling, including Matt Jackson challenging Jay Lethal for the ROH World Championship, Nick Jackson challenging Roderick Strong for the ROH TV championship and the Bullet Club challenging ROH Tag Team champs War Machine. For more information, visit ROHWrestling.com.

    Related: Plans For AJ Styles WWE Debut & His Status For The Royal Rumble

  • Plans For AJ Styles WWE Debut & His Status For The Royal Rumble

    Plans For AJ Styles WWE Debut & His Status For The Royal Rumble

    AJ Styles WWE debut could very well be taking place within the next week, but a new report by Bryan Alvarez of f4wonline.com states that AJ’s first WWE appearance might not be taking place at the Royal Rumble, as most fans are expecting.

    After dropping the Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Undisputed British Heavyweight championship to Zack Sabre Jr. on Saturday night, Styles addressed that crowd in the UK and teased a potential appearance in Sunday’s Rumble match. While AJ Styles would make for a very satisfying unannounced Rumble entrant, Alvarez says WWE has different plans for the former TNA Champion.

    While an appearance in the Rumble is possible, WWE is reportedly planning for Styles to debut next Monday night on RAW from Miami, FL. WWE is working on a vignette that will air on RAW next week in an effort to introduce Styles to the audience.

    Additionally, AJ Styles will be the only newly acquired talent from NJPW that will not start out in NXT. Shinsuke Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson will all be heading to NXT for at least a few months when they sign with WWE.

    Comment on this article and tell us when you think the AJ Styles WWE debut should take place.

    Join us here at SEScoops.com this Sunday night for Live Coverage of the 2016 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. I will be attending the Royal Rumble in person and will be live tweeting from the event, so make sure to follow @SEScoops on Twitter if you don’t already.

  • AJ Styles Teases Royal Rumble Appearance, WWE Reportedly Makes Big Offer

    AJ Styles Teases Royal Rumble Appearance, WWE Reportedly Makes Big Offer

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lK8THFknsA

    (Note: The title of this above video is inaccurate, despite the relevance of the footage)

    Zack Sabre Jr. defeated AJ Styles for Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Undisputed British Heavyweight championship at Saturday night’s “High Stakes 2016” show. After the match, Styles gave a farewell speech to the rowdy UK crowd.

    Styles said he’s not sure what’s next for him and was met with a loud “Royal Rumble” chant. Styles said if there’s a spot available for him in the Rumble, we could be seeing him again very soon. The place went nuts and Styles said that if he does appear in the Rumble, he’s going to kick some ass for the fans.

    At this time, there are no indications that AJ Styles has actually signed with WWE. The former face of TNA has been doing some of the best work of his career over the past 2 years and looks to be capping it off with a run on the biggest stage of them all. Sean Radican and James Caldwell of PWTorch.com published a report on Saturday detailing Styles’ road to WWE with exclusive details about how it all went down. There was of course strong interest from NJPW and ROH to continue featuring Styles in main events for months to come, but WWE is said to have offered a “blow-away” deal.

  • AJ Styles Speaks On The Royal Rumble, Says He Wants To Face Finn Balor, More

    When asked if he would be available for bookings on the night of the 2016 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles answered: “Sure.” The former TNA champion was interviewed by WhatCulture after a 5* Wrestling event in Newcastle, England and touched on the subject of WWE, where Styles is rumored to be signing a contract. Here’s what AJ had to say when asked who from the NXT roster he’d like to work with:

    “Finn [Balor], I think that’s the one most people would like to see me wrestle,” Styles said. “There are a lot of guys I haven’t worked with [in WWE], and hopefully one day I’ll get to wrestle them before it’s over.”

    Styles is either currently in negotiations with or signed with WWE. WWE reportedly offered him significantly more money than they had before, after Styles left TNA and “raised his profile” in Japan.

    Related: AJ Styles Royal Rumble Appearance Teased By Finn Balor

    When asked “what’s next” for him, AJ didn’t make any mention of his potential new employer, but did say he plans to wrestle as long as he can without seriously injuring himself.

    “I love what I do,” Styles said. “I’m going to do what I do the best I can. I’m definitely not an artist but I can paint with the wrestling brush. I think I got some kind of thing going on with that. And I’m going to keep doing that as long as I can. Keep in mind, still gonna be able to walk away from this business. Will I have surgeries? Of course I will because I’m going to get old and I’ve hurt myself, but that’s just the nature of the beast. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

    Related: AJ Styles Says Hulk Hogan Was Embarrassed By TNA During His Time There

  • Nakamura’s English Promo Ability, AJ Styles’ Debut, Gallows & Anderson To NXT

    WWE’s raid of the New Japan Pro Wrestling talent roster kicked off 2016 in a big way, but it’s worth noting that the negotiations with Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson were each handled individually and things just happened to work out around the same time.

    Nakamura had talks with WWE in early 2015 but wound up re-signing with NJPW for another year. What many people don’t know is that Nakamura speaks English pretty well. He’s known for his showmanship and charisma and this apparently translates to his English promo ability.

    WWE was planning to have AJ Styles debut in the Royal Rumble and we haven’t heard anything about that changing. The AJ Styles situation is an interesting one because he received an offensively low offer from WWE when he left TNA. He decided to work the independent scene and head over to Japan, where he raised his profile and was able to get considerably more money from WWE this time around.

    Gallows and Anderson are expected to debut on NXT TV in early March. As we’ve covered previously, NJPW owns the name “Bullet Club” so they won’t be using that in NXT.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • WWE Performance Center Coach Matt Bloom On Rumors Of NJPW Stars Coming To WWE

    WWE Performance Center Coach Matt Bloom On Rumors Of NJPW Stars Coming To WWE

    WWE Performance Center head coach Matt Bloom recently spoke with WWE.com about the rumors of top New Japan Pro Wrestling stars coming to WWE. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On the rumors of AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling to come to WWE:

    “It’s about time. WWE is the largest platform in the world to do what those guys love to do. They deserve to be here because they paid their dues, they worked really hard, and they made names for themselves. The best of the best come here to flourish. They’re gonna take all those years of experience, hard work and dedication, and now show it to the world on an even grander scale.”

    On talking to Finn Balor about his former Bullet Club buddies possibly coming to WWE:

    “He’s excited. He’s stoked. Finn is doing big things on his own right now, but I’m sure he knows that becoming the champion is difficult and staying the champion is even more difficult. He’s got an ace in his back pocket because he might have some friends coming in that have been known to watch his back. I’m sure that’s very comforting for Finn Bálor.”

    On what to expect if The Bullet Club members show up in WWE:

    “You hear the boss always say, “You need to reach for that brass ring.” The Bullet Club do things outside the box to continually reach for that brass ring. They’re not afraid to buck the system and be different. They’re not afraid of trying new things. The fans, the locker room, and us as coaches are very excited to see what The Bullet Club might do.”

  • Dean Ambrose Speaks On AJ Styles Possibly Joining WWE, Samoa Joe

    Dean Ambrose recently spoke with The Independent to promote 12 Rounds 3, which was released in the UK on January 4th. Here are some highlights:

    On AJ Styles possibly joining WWE:

    “I’m down with that, this is where the best talent in the world is. I hadn’t heard about AJ coming in so that’s really cool. I think NXT has opened up the doors for a lot of guys to come in and create different opportunities.

    In North America there aren’t too many big places to go, so you find that pretty much all of the best talent in the world ends up filtering through WWE. It’s a very exciting time.”

    On who he would like to work with that he hasn’t yet:

    “I’d love to wrestle Samoa Joe at some point, I’ve never been in the ring with him and I can picture that being pretty cool. Other than that I think I’ve wrestled everybody. That’s what comes when you’re a guy who has been around for a while and who can do it all.”

    Related: AJ Styles Royal Rumble Appearance Teased By Finn Balor

  • AJ Styles Royal Rumble Appearance Teased By Finn Balor

    AJ Styles Royal Rumble Appearance Teased By Finn Balor

    An AJ Styles Royal Rumble appearance would send shockwaves throughout the wrestling world and NXT Champion Finn Balor is reminding fans that it’s a very real possibility.

    In a tweet sent out Monday night during RAW, Balor questioned what would happen if he entered the Royal Rumble himself at number #1 and AJ Styles entered at #2. It’s an intriguing prospect to say the least. Balor has yet to make his WWE main roster debut and Styles is the most likely of the departing New Japan stars to appear in the Rumble.

    No matter how or when Styles, Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson debut in WWE, it seems apparent that they’ll be involved with Finn Balor in some fashion. Balor has ties to all four men from his time working for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He’s best friends with Karl Anderson and the two of them rode together in the Bullet Club along with Doc Gallows. AJ Styles took over as the leader of the Bullet Club when Balor departed NJPW and joined WWE. He’s wrestled Nakamura.

    With so many of WWE’s top performers out of action for the next several months due to injury, there couldn’t be a better time for an influx of fresh talent. 2016 is already off to wild start and there’s a very strong chance that the complexion of WWE will be very different by the time WrestleMania season kicks into high gear.

  • Jim Ross Comments On WWE Raiding NJPW Talent

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. In this installment, JR reacted to reports that AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson are leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling and jumping ship to WWE:

    “If WWE signs the NJPW talents that they are rumored to be romancing, it can be a HUGE development for WWE if they handle it efficiently and position these talents as top  hands from the get go. Impactful debuts should be the order of the day.

    AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura can both be major, singles stars for WWE. WWE does not have two, better singles wrestlers currently  on their roster than AJ and Nakumura.”

  • WWE.com Covers Rumored NJPW Mass Exodus, Triple H Declines To Comment

    WWE.com published a new feature story on the rumors regarding top New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson possibly jumping ship from NJPW to WWE.

    Their article, which they promise to continue to update with any new information that surfaces, mentions that the four are rumored to be WWE bound, however noted the following about Triple H “declining to comment” on the rumors.

    “The office of WWE COO and EVP of Talent Relations, Triple H, declined to comment on the rumors for WWE.com.”

    The official WWE website story also tells a bit of the story behind NXT Champion Finn Balor’s relationship with the aforementioned NJPW talents, including some of the history of the Bullet Club faction, as well as the Balor Club t-shirts.

    “Additionally, the official Twitter account for the Bullet Club tweeted the NXT Champion Monday, telling him to keep more Bálor Club shirts on hand in case they need them. That tweet has since been deleted.”

    The article ends with WWE.com pointing out the significance of the four NJPW talents possibly jumping to WWE simaltaneously to fans who might not be overly familiar with the international wrestling scene.

    “The addition of Styles, Nakamura, Anderson and Gallows would represent one of the most significant bulk talent acquisitions in WWE history.”

  • NJPW Exodus: Latest On AJ Styles, Nakamura & Bullet Club Members To WWE

    Since the initial post yesterday, some more details have come out with regards to the huge news that various wrestlers have given notice to New Japan Pro Wrestling and appear to be WWE-bound. As noted yesterday, the story first broke publicly via a paywalled posting to former indie promoter and WWE writer Court Bauer’s podcast network, MLW Radio, where Bauer announced that Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, and two or three of Styles’ Bullet Club stablemates had given notice to the company. Being that the Bullet Club’s Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, and Rocky Romero have a podcast on MLW Radio, they seemed like the obvious candidates.

    The first update came from Wrestling Observer Radio behind the paywall at F4WOnline.com, with some additional details coming on last night’s traditional weekly post-Raw show. On the shows, here are some of the key details laid out by Dave Meltzer:

    The wrestlers who gave notice are Nakamura, Styles, Anderson, and Gallows, and yes, they’re seemingly WWE-bound, though nobody has signed yet. All but Styles, who had no contract, were working on NJPW’s traditional one year deals, which always expire at the end of January. This is not the first exodus of this kind, as Hiroshi Hase helped engineer Keiji Mutoh, Satoshi Kojima, and Kendo Ka Shin jumping to AJPW in 2002 when their NJPW deals were up. Styles had already been removed from ROH advertising and stopped accepting new indie bookings before Wrestle Kingdom, so it was kind of known within wrestling that he was done. He was seemingly written out of storylines at New Year Dash (full spoilers here) earlier today, with Mike Johnson at PWInsider confirming it was his last NJPW booking.

    Meltzer made it clear that Nakamura won’t be leaving immediately, instead sticking around for a few months. He shot an angle setting up a new program for his IWGP Intercontinental Championship today at New Year Dash (again, the full spoiler details are here) so at the very least, it looks like he’ll see that through. There’s also the chance that NJPW could make him an offer to stay.

    Meltzer made a point of saying that it looks like Styles and Nakamura aren’t earmarked for NXT, in part because of the money that they have to be paying to get them. Nakamura was believed to be making somewhere from a quarter to half a million dollars U.S. each year and Styles had a full calendar of well-paying indie dates (where his road expenses were also covered by promoters, unlike in WWE) on top of his NJPW tours. Whether making that kind of financial commitment means anything as far as WWE’s main shows changing stylistically is harder to tall. Also, as pointed out by Mike Johnson at PWInsider yesterday (before Meltzer’s confirmation that WWE was the destination of the wrestlers), Nakamura also needs to have a work visa secured by WWE so he can wrestle here legally, and that will take time.

    Meltzer noted that rumors of Anderson leaving had been well known for a while (he’s right) but didn’t say much more about he and Gallows. While it was speculative on his part, he did throw out the idea of Anderson and Gallows being earmarked for a “Balor Club” heel stable, though that’s not necessarily the most wild guess. As for Gallows’ WrestleMerica indie promotion out of Barnesville, Georgia, which has become increasingly successful, there’s been no word on its status yet. Being that his wife, Kimberly Davis (Amber O’Neal/Amber Gallows/The Bullet Babe) is a wrestler, one would think she could take over the promotion unless it would still be seen as a political issue with WWE.

  • Spoiler – NJPW Runs Major Angle With AJ Styles At New Year Dash

    Spoiler – NJPW Runs Major Angle With AJ Styles At New Year Dash

    Earlier today (tonight, Japan time), New Japan Pro Wrestling ran what has become an annual tradition, the New Year Dash show at Korakuen Hall in the Tokyo Dome City complex. If Wrestle Kingdom is their WrestleMania, New Year Dash is their Monday Night Raw the night after WrestleMania, complete wth major angles to kickstart the year, and they definitely delivered on that front.

    FINAL SPOILER WARNING:

    If you haven’t watched the show yet on NJPW World (and for what it’s worth, Kevin Kelly and Matt Striker did stay in Japan to do English commentary on it) and you don’t want to know what happens, don’t read beyond this point.

    Last night, the big angle was that AJ Styles was kicked out of The Bullet Club after Styles and Kenny Omega defeated Shinsuke Nakamura and YOSHI-HASHI when Omega pinned Nakamura clean with the One-Winged Angel. At first, Omega was celebrating the win, which should put him in line for a shot at Nakamura’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship, but then he attacked Styles and hit the One-Winged Angel on him. Next, most of the rest of The Bullet Club ran in. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, and Cody Hall tended to Styles, while The Young Bucks were holding back Omega in the corner. They teased a split of some kind, only for the Bucks to both super kick Styles, leading to everyone else joining in on the beatdown.

    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/684393118095966208

    Omega then announced that Styles was officially fired from The Bullet Club and now “had nothing” after “giving everything.” He then announced that he was tired of “pretending to b a junior heavyweight” and would be coming for Nakamura’s belt. Being that Styles was already removed from advertising for Ring of Honor dates already before giving notice to NJPW (we’ll have more on that in a bit), this appears to be NJPW’s way of writing him out of storylines. Earlier this morning, Mike Johnson reported at PWInsider that this is indeed the case, with New Year Dash being Styles’ last scheduled NJPW booking.

    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/684382382368018433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    Here are the results for the whole show:

    1. Shiro Koshinaka, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Sho Tanaka defeated Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, Cheeseburger & Yohei Komatsu
    2. Ricochet & Matt Sydal defeated David Finlay Jr. & Jay White
    3. Jay Lethal defeated Juice Robinson
    4. King Haku, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga defeated Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & KUSHIDA
    5. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & BUSHI defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin & Mascara Dorada (BUSHI challenged KUSHIDA for a shot at his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship after the match)
    6. AJ Styles & Kenny Omega defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI
    7. Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish defeated Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Rocky Romero & Barreta @ 13:19 via pin
    8. Toru Yano, Jay Bricoe & Mark Briscoe (c) defeated Bad Luck Fale and The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) to retain the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship

  • AJ Styles Interview: What Went Wrong With TNA, If He’d Work For WWE, NXT & Lucha Underground

    Ring of Honor & New Japan Pro Wrestling star AJ Styles’ recently spoke with Donald Wood from Ring Rust Radio to promote NJPW’s upcoming WrestleKingdom 10 PPV on Monday, January 4th from the Tokyo Dome. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

    His Back Injury:

    “I’m not going to let it have an impact. I’m going to be wrestling at Final Battle and Wrestle Kingdom and I will find a way. I’m not missing these amazing events for anything. I am going to be there, I have been hurt before, and I just work through it. Everyone has at some point; it’s just what you do as a wrestler. You ignore the pain and when that adrenaline starts running it doesn’t matter what’s bothering you, you will put on the best show you can.”

    If He Plans On Slowing Down His Schedule: 

    “Maybe less dates because I have been going hard ever since I left TNA. I have been rocking it. Maybe less dates is something that I should look to, but as far as slowing down in the ring; no way. I have one gear and it’s all or nothing with me. That’s the reason why I came home early from the tag tournament over in New Japan. If I got back in the ring, I would have hurt myself worse because I just can’t slow down. It doesn’t matter how many people are in attendance, you are always going to get everything I have.”

    TNA Making Him The Face Of The Company When He Joined in 2002: 

    “It’s funny cause when it first started I thought it was just another indie. I didn’t worry about what they would do with me; I just knew I was there to put on killer matches. As it grew, I had to ignore rumors that they were going out of business and that I might be done there after I felt like I was part of the company. I don’t know that I was shocked that they were giving me a title. Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, and myself were always having the best matches on PPV. So it wasn’t a surprise they wanted to put us in the main event. As many bad things that did happen at TNA, there were plenty of good things as well. As I walk down to my man cave, I have old posters of TNA. Sometimes I think I should take them down, but then again I’m not ashamed of what I accomplished there. It is what it is and despite where TNA is now, when I look back it was a very positive thing for me and I learned a lot there.”

    What Went Wrong With TNA & What Led To His Departure:

    “I think around 2009-10 they were headed in the wrong direction. They were trying to be WWE-lite and you can’t do that, you have to be different. I think that’s where the biggest mistakes were made and they didn’t trust the guys that got them to the ball game in the first place. They had all the talent they needed and didn’t need to bring in other talent. I think people were misinformed about what they could get out of it. The dial never changed when they brought in this higher talent as they thought it would. I will say Christian Cage when he came over was such an asset; he was the start of it. Then they brought in Kurt Angle, which was unbelievable, and they could have stopped there and we would have been fine. They have got to be different and turn it up. If WWE can’t do something because they are publicly traded, then there is your advantage. That just doesn’t apply to TNA, that applies to ROH as well. Everybody can do something different than WWE. I will say ROH wrestling is out of this world and nothing can compete with that. TNA they just have to change it and be different.

    If He’s Interested In NXT:

    “I’m going to be honest with you guys: The thing that makes wrestling most interesting to me is going to be the business that occurs after the match is over. A lot of people frown on that and say money isn’t everything. Well I say it depends on how much you have saved. My goal when I retire is to not be in a wheel chair or walk with a limp. Wherever I go, I will do my best, work harder than anybody there, and that’s just what I do. I only have one gear and if someone is looking for that and I can support my family while doing it, then that is what I will do.”

    Is Wrestling In WWE A Goal? 

    “It’s not, it really isn’t. I get to work in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th in front of thousands and thousands of people. That’s pretty awesome. I don’t know about you guys, but the first time I watched New Japan and saw them walk down that long ramp to the ring it was unbelievable. The fact that I get to do that, that is my wrestling moment. I wouldn’t say I would never go to WWE, but if it didn’t happen I wouldn’t go, “Oh man, I missed out. I’m the one guy that missed out.”

    If He Would Work For Lucha Underground: 

    “Again, where ever the business takes me that is where I will go. Lucha Underground does great and crazy stuff over there, and it’s a little bit of what we talked about with doing something different. Where ever the business takes me, that’s where I am going to go.”

    His Ultimate Dream Match:

    “I think I am going to get the opportunity to have one of my dream matches. I have never wrestled Rey Mysterio one on one. We are going to be in England at Five Star and we are finally going to get the chance to lock up. I’m looking forward to that match, I think it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be entertaining. It’s Rey Mysterio, this guy is amazing. To be able to step in the ring with him, it’s kind of a dream come true for me. Not because I have watched him for so many years, but he is such a great guy and I never had the opportunity to have that match with him. I would have loved to wrestle Eddie Guerrero, but obviously that can’t happen. I think Rey Mysterio is definitely a big one for me.

     

     

  • AJ Styles Says Hulk Hogan Was Embarrassed By TNA During His Time There

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfYd9fAZzPA

    AJ Styles has a theory about Hulk Hogan’s TNA run, which went from 2009 to 2013 and gave The Hulkster and Eric Bischoff a lot of influence over the company’s television product. Styles recently appeared on The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast and was critical when asked about the Bischoff/Hogan era in TNA.

    AJ started by saying Hogan and Bischoff didn’t study the TNA roster before their arrival, and didn’t know enough about TNA’s homegrown talent.

    “First of all, I just tried to stay positive. Pretty much anything Hulk Hogan touched at least at the beginning turned to gold,” Styles said. “But it didn’t obviously, because I don’t think he knew the roster that was in front of him and that was the problem. The names, the people who were the “brand names” of TNA that they had no idea who they were. If they didn’t know who they were they just did whatever they wanted with it. They wanted me to dye my hair blonde and be ‘Little Ric’ and just because they didn’t know me. Instead of being Ric Flair I needed to be AJ Styles with Ric Flair. Being with Ric I’ll hopefully get the rub from Ric there is no doubt about that and Fortune could have been great but they broke up Fortune a little bit too early and we were really getting some steam and they broke us up and noting came about it.

    Styles feels Hogan didn’t use his many mainstream media appearances to promote TNA, instead discussing his personal turmoils. Styles believes that Hogan was embarrassed by TNA, and purposely didn’t talk about it much with the media.

    “It was things like that that got weird, and Hogan seemed like he didn’t have much to do with TNA and seemed like he was embarrassed of the show because he never said anything about TNA at all,” Styles cotinued. “Even when he was on shows he just never mentioned it. I believe that he was ashamed of what was on TV. I believe if TNA were doing a lot better he would have been a lot more gung-ho about saying a lot more about it but he didn’t say a word and it bothered me but thinking back I understand it now.”

    Styles has been on the injured list since 11/24 due to a bulging disc in his lower back.

    Related: Recap Of Hulk Hogan On Ric Flair’s Podcast: “TNA Had Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen”