AJ Styles

Hometown: Gainesville, GA

AJ Styles is an American professional wrestler currently signed to KJWWE, where he performs on the Smackdown brand.

## Debut, championship pursuits, and various feuds (2018)

AJ Styles made his KWWE debut at Wrestlemania 1, where he was part of the seven man elimination match to crown the inaugural WWE Champion. At Wrestlemania, Styles eliminated CM Punk, but was ultimately the penultimate man eliminated by Seth Rollins. John Cena went on to win the match and the championship. After Wrestlemania, Styles began a feud with both Austin Aries and Seth Rollins, as all three men claimed they should be the number one contender to the WWE Championship. At Extreme Rules (2018), Aries defeated Styles and Rollins in a Triple Threat Elimination Submission Match. Styles would make Rollins submit to the Calf Crusher, but ultimately passed out while in Aries' Last Chancery. Rollins and Styles continued to feud, and agreed to face each other in a Three Stages of Hell Match at Slammiversary (2018). Rollins picked a Falls Count Anywhere match as his stipulation, while Styles picked a Submission Match. The third and final stipulation would not be announced until the match. At the event, Rollins pinned Styles after a Curb Stomp on the floor, while Styles forced Rollins to submit to the Calf Crusher. For the final fall, the two competed in a Last Man Standing match, which Rollins won after giving Styles two consecutive curb stomps on the entrance stage.  On the May 28 episode of Raw, Styles was part of a Battle Royal to determine the number one contender to the WWE Universal Championship. Styles and Daniel Bryan were the last two men in the match, and both men fell over the top rope and hit the floor at the same time. As a result, the two men were booked in a Number One Contender's match at Money in the Bank (2018). At the event, Styles and Bryan wrestled to a double countout when Styles hit a Phenomenal Forearm on Bryan through the announce table. The two had another number one contender's match on the June 18 episode of Raw, which ended in a double disqualification when WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens attacked both men. As a result, Owens defended his championship against both men at One Night Stand (2018), where he retained after hitting Bryan with a ladder. Due to this finish, it was announced that Owens would again defend his championship against Bryan and Styles at The Great American Bash (2018) in a ladder match. At the event, Owens retained the championship. On the July 9 episode of Raw, Styles defeated Seth Rollins, who was the number one contender to the WWE Championship. Styles would go on to challenge Cena to a match for the championship, which Cena accepted. At King of the Ring (2018), Cena defeated by Styles and Rollins to retain the WWE Championship after pinning Rollins. Due to this string of big losses, Styles was offered the managerial services of "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. However, Styles declined, which led to an attack from DiBiase. At Bash at the Beach (2018), Styles defeated DiBiase.  Following Bash at the Beach, Styles challenged WWE Champion John Cena to a championship match, which Cena accepted. Before the event, Styles was drafted to Smackdown in the 2018 WWE Draft. At Summerslam, Cena defeated Styles to retain the WWE Championship. Following the match, the two showed respect for each other, shaking hands. Following Summerslam, Styles began a feud with Austin Aries. The two faced off at the first Smackdown exclusive pay-per-view, Double or Nothing (2018), where Styles defeated Aries. Styles would then enter the 2018 Bound for Glory Series, winning his qualifier block with a 3-0 record. On Night One, Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in his first round match. However, on Night Two, Styles was defeated by Seth Rollins in the quarterfinals. Styles was included on Smackdown's Survivor Series team. At Survivor Series (2018), Styles eliminated Randy Orton and Kevin Owens, becoming the sole survivor and winning the Battle for Brand Supremacy for Smackdown. As a result, Styles was named the number one contender to the WWE Championship. However, on the November 27 episode of Smackdown, Styles was defeated by Austin Aries, meaning Aries was added to the upcoming match between Styles and Cena, making it a Triple Threat. At Starrcade (2018), Cena defeated Styles and Aries to retain the WWE Championship, pinning Aries. Aries would again defeat Styles, with interference from Shawn Michaels, on the December 11 episode of Smackdown, this time to qualify for the Fatal 4-Way match for the WWE Championship at Final Battle (2018). Styles and Michaels would then begin a feud, with Styles defeating Michaels at Final Battle (2018).

## Royal Rumble winner and WWE Champion (2019)

Styles would go on to enter the 2019 Royal Rumble match. At Royal Rumble (2019), Styles entered at number 23 and would go on to win the match, scoring four eliminations and earning a WWE Championship match in the main event of Wrestlemania 2. At Halftime Heat (2019), Styles agreed to defend his Wrestlemania main event clause against Drew McIntyre at Victory Road (2019). At the event, Styles defeated McIntyre to retain his Wrestlemania main event clause in a match rated 5.25 stars by Pro Wrestling Newsletter, Styles' first to achieve this feat and the first KWWE match to break the 5-star threshold. Following this victory, Styles officially challenged WWE Champion Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 2. On Night One of the 2019 Battle for Los Angeles, Styles teamed with Daniel Bryan, Edge, and Christian to defeat The Four Horsemen (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Barry Windham). At All Star Weekend (2019), Styles was on the winning side of the 16-Man Spring Fever Elimination Tag Team Match. At Wrestlemania 2, Styles defeated Michaels to win the WWE Championship for the first time.  On the April 30 episode of Smackdown, Styles and Michaels competed in a Beat the Clock Challenge, where the winner would decide the stipulation for their rematch at Slammiversary (2019). Michaels defeated Rey Mysterio in 18:12. As Styles was about to make Austin Aries submit to the Calf Crusher, Michaels attacked Aries, costing Styles the match. Michaels would select a 60-Minute Anything Goes Iron Man match. At Slammiversary, Styles defeated Michaels, 4-3. On the May 21 episode of Smackdown, Michaels asked Styles for one more championship match. Styles agreed on the condition that if Michaels lost, Michaels could not challenge for the championship as long as Styles was champion, which Michaels agreed to. At Money in the Bank (2019), Styles defeated Michaels, meaning that Michaels could not challenge for the championship for the remainder of Styles' reign. At One Night Stand (2019), Styles defended the WWE Championship in a Six-Pack Challenge against Dean Ambrose, John Cena, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Styles would go on to retain the championship, pinning Miz. On the July 2 episode of Smackdown, Styles was challenged to a championship match at King of the Ring (2019) by John Cena, which Styles accepted. At the event, Styles defeated Cena to retain the WWE Championship in a match rated 5 stars by Pro Wrestling Newsletter, Styles' second match to achieve this rating. Also at King of the Ring (2019), Rey Mysterio won the King of the Ring Tournament and announced that he would challenge for the WWE Championship at Summerslam (2019). At Bash at the Beach (2019), Styles defended his championship in a Fatal 4-Way match against Cena, Dean Ambrose, and The Miz, where Styles retained after pinning Ambrose. By retaining, Styles solidified that he would defend the WWE Championship against Rey Mysterio at Summerslam (2019). At Summerslam (2019), Styles defeated Mysterio to retain the WWE Championship. After the match, however, Styles was attacked by Smackdown Money in the Bank Contract holder Austin Aries, who cashed in his contract and defeated Styles to win the WWE Championship, ending Styles' reign at 141 days. Styles officially invoked his rematch clause for the championship at Double or Nothing (2019), where Aries defeated him to retain the championship.

## Interbrand feuds and championship pursuits (2019-2020)

Styles would go on to enter the 2019 Bound for Glory Series, coming in second in his qualifier block with a 2-1 record. On Night One, Styles defeated MVP in his first round match. However, on Night Two, Styles was defeated by EC3 in the quarterfinals, eliminating him from the tournament.  On the November 12 episode of Smackdown, Styles took part in a Six-Pack Challenge to determine the number one contender to the WWE Championship. During the match, John Cena was attacked by Kevin Owens and EC3. However, Styles came to his aid, and he and Cena fought off both men. Neither Styles nor Cena became the number one contender, as Dean Ambrose would pin Shawn Michaels to win. However, it was announced that night via WWE's Twitter account that Styles and Cena would face Owens and EC3 at Survivor Series in an Interbrand Showcase Tag Team Match. At Survivor Series (2019), Styles and Cena were defeated by Owens and EC3. On the November 26 episode of Smackdown, Styles and Rey Mysterio were mocked by WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz for losing their matches at Survivor Series (2019), while Miz won his. Later that night, Miz defeated Mysterio in a match, and attempted to attack Mysterio after the match. However, Styles made the save. At Starrcade (2019), Styles challenged for the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a Triple Threat match against champion The Miz and Rey Mysterio. At the event, Styles was unsuccessful in winning as Miz pinned Mysterio to retain.  On the December 10 episode of Smackdown, it was announced that WWE Champion Austin Aries would defend his championship at Final Battle (2019) against the three other men who had held the championship during 2019: Styles, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena. At Final Battle (2019), Aries retained the championship, pinning Styles. At Royal Rumble (2020), Styles entered the titular match at number 26, scoring two eliminations before being eliminated from the match by Seth Rollins. This sparked an inter-brand feud between the two men. At Halftime Heat (2020), Styles teamed with John Cena and Dean Ambrose to defeat Elias, Shawn Michaels, and Samoa Joe in a six-man tag team match. After the match, Styles was attacked by Rollins.  On the February 4 episode of Smackdown, Styles was one of five Superstars who claimed that he should be the number one contender to the WWE Championship. This led to an Elimination Six-Pack Challenge at Victory Road (2020), where Styles eliminated both Shawn Michaels and Austin Aries, but was the final man eliminated by WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. This loss did not come without controversy, however, as when Styles was setting up to deliver a Phenomenal Forearm to Austin, Rollins entered the ring. Styles would deliver the move to Rollins, which allowed Austin time to recover and hit Styles with a Stunner to retain the championship. On Night One and the 2020 Battle of Los Angeles, Styles and Rollins engaged in a pre-show brawl, and as a result were removed from the tournament. At All Star Weekend (2020), Styles was on the winning side of the 16-Man Spring Fever Elimination Tag Team Match. At Wrestlemania 3, Styles defeated Rollins in an Interbrand Showcase to end their feud. On the April 28 episode of Smackdown, Styles defeated Curtis Axel. After the match, he was attacked by Drew Gulak, who promised to "make a name for himself". This led to match between the two at Slammiversary, where Styles defeated Gulak. At Worlds Collide (2020), Styles teamed with Mustafa Ali and Rey Mysterio to defeat Austin Aries, Drew Gulak, and Samoa Joe. At Money in the Bank (2020), Styles competed in the Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match, where he was unsuccessful in winning as John Cena retrieved the contract. Styles was one of the men who interrupted WWE Champion Finn Balor's opening promo on the June 9 episode of Smackdown. Styles was included in a Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship at One Night Stand (2020), along with Shawn Michaels, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and champion Finn Balor. Styles was unsuccessful in winning when Balor pinned Austin. At Wrestle Kingdom (2020), Styles took part in a 15-man battle royal to determine the number one contender to the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Styles was the penultimate person eliminated, and Mustafa Ali went on to win the match. On the August 4 episode of Smackdown, Styles defeated X-Pac. After the match, Styles was challenged to a match by The Brian Kendrick, which Styles accepted. Kendrick would then attack Styles with a headbutt. Kendrick would go on to claim he attacked Styles to "make an impression", and officially challenged Styles to a match at Bash at the Beach (2020). At the event, Styles defeated Kendrick in a match rated 4.5 stars by Pro Wrestling Newsletter. After the match, the two shook hands.

## Teaming with Rey Mysterio and Battle of Los Angeles win (2020-2021)

On the August 18 episode of Smackdown, Styles wrestled Rey Mysterio. However, their match was interrupted by The APA (Faarooq and Bradshaw), who attacked both men and demanded respect in the tag team division. Styles and Mysterio challenged The APA for the WWE International Tag Team Championships at Summerslam (2020), where they won, becoming the tag team champions. The two successfully defended the championships against The APA on the following episode of Smackdown, and again at Super Showdown (2020) in a Submissions Count Anywhere Match. Styles and Mysterio lost the championships to The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) at Double or Nothing (2020), in a triple threat match also involving The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder). The two invoked their rematch clause on the following episode of Smackdown, but both teams were attacked by The APA and The Revival before the match. As a result, the four teams competed in a Fatal 4-Way Match at Night One of the 2020 Bound for Glory Series, where The Prime Time Players retained. On the November 10 episode of Smackdown, Styles was approached by John Cena and offered a spot on Team Smackdown at Survivor Series (2020), which Styles accepted. At the event, Styles eliminated Seth Rollins, but was shortly eliminated by Randy Orton. Team Smackdown would go on to lose the match and the event to Team NXT. On the following episode of Smackdown, the Smackdown roster would be berated by WWE Champion Finn Balor, who won one of Smackdown's four victories at Survivor Series. This berating led to a brawl between most of the roster. During the brawl, Styles was struck with a guitar by Elias. As a result, Styles and Elias faced off at Starrcade (2020), where Styles defeated Elias. At Final Battle (2020), Styles teamed with former WWE Champions John Cena and Shawn Michaels in an Interbrand Showcase Tag Team Match, where they were defeated by former WWE Universal Champions Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, and Chris Jericho, when Bryan made Michaels submit to the Yes! Lock. On the first episode of Smackdown of 2021, Styles declared for the 2021 Royal Rumble Match. Styles entered the match at number 33, eliminating Kevin Owens but eventually being eliminated by Wade Barrett. At Halftime Heat (2021), Styles was involved in a 25-man battle royal, where the winner would receive a WWE Championship match at Victory Road (2021). Styles was the second to last person eliminated. At Victory Road (2021), Styles would challenge Elias for the WWE King of the Mountain Championship along with John Cena, The Brian Kendrick, and Shawn Michaels. Elias would end up retaining the championship. Following this, Styles would enter the 2021 Battle of Los Angeles, defeating Cesaro in a match rated 4.5 stars by Pro Wrestling Newsletter on Night One. On Night Two, Styles defeated Austin Aries in the quarterfinals, Seth Rollins in the semifinals, and The Brian Kendrick and Evan Bourne in the finals to win the 2021 Battle for Los Angeles, earning him a WWE Championship match against Finn Balor at Wrestlemania 4.

## Moveset

Finishers

* Calf Crusher (Calf slicer)
* Phenomenal Forearm (Springboard Forearm smash)
* Styles Clash (Belly-to-back inverted mat slam)

Signatures

* Dropkick
* Jumping knee drop
* Pele Kick (Backflip kick)
* Phenomenal Blitz (Two punches, followed by a kick to the thigh, followed by a spinning back fist, followed by a discus lariat)
* Pumphandle gutbuster
* Rack Bomb (Backbreaker rack dropped into a powerbomb)
* Springboard 450 splash
* Springboard moonsault onto a standing opponent transitioned into an inverted DDT
* Somersault plancha
* Styles Suplex Special (German suplex followed by a belly-to-back wheelbarrow facebuster)
* Tornado DDT
* Ushigoroshi (Fireman's carry neckbreaker)

## Championships and Accomplishments

* Battle of Los Angeles Winner (2021)
* Royal Rumble Winner (2019)
* Wrestlemania Main Event (2 times; 2018, 2019)
* WWE Champion (1 time)
* WWE International Tag Team Champion (1 time, with Rey Mysterio)