AJ Styles

Born
 Residence
 Spouse(s)
 Children
 Website
 Ring name(s)
A.J. Styles[1]
**AJ Styles**[1][2]
 Billed height

**Allen Neal Jones** (born June 2, 1977) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to NJPW under the ring name **AJ Styles** (also stylized as **A.J. Styles**).[2]

Long regarded as one of the world's best professional wrestlers,[6] Styles has headlined numerous pay-per-view events internationally. Styles debuted in 1998 and competed for various independent promotions, before gaining his first mainstream exposure in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. From 2002 to 2014, he became widely known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), who described him as "the cornerstone of the company since the inception in 2002".[4] Within that organization, Styles held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship twice and was the inaugural titleholder of the X Division Championship, which he won six times. Styles is the first professional wrestler to complete the TNA Triple Crown (five times) and the TNA Grand Slam (two times).

In 2010, Styles became the first TNA-contracted wrestler to be ranked number one on the annual *Pro Wrestling Illustrated* (*PWI*) *PWI 500* list. He simultaneously appeared in Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2002–2006, where he became the inaugural ROH Pure Champion. In 2014, Styles signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and won his first of two IWGP Heavyweight Champions

hips in his debut match, later becoming the third leader of the Bullet Club.[7][8] Styles has also won various titles on international independent circuits, including the PWG World Championship.

Styles first appeared in WWE (then the World Wrestling Federation, or the WWF) in 2002, but turned down a developmental contract he was offered with the company. He signed a multi-year contract with WWE fourteen years later in January 2016, making his re-debut that month and going on to win the WWE Championship in September. Both *PWI* and the *Wrestling Observer Newsletter* (WON) voted him Wrestler of the Year for 2016 and in 2017 he was inducted into the *WON* Hall of Fame. With his second WWE Championship victory in Manchester, England in November 2017, Styles was recognized by WWE as the first wrestler to win the title outside of North America. At 371 days, this reign is the longest in SmackDown history under the brand extension, shattering the previous record of 280 days held by John Bradshaw Layfield from 2004–2005.[9] The reign is also recognized as the eighth-longest overall (tied with Randy Savage's 1988–1989 reign).

## Moveset

**Finishing moves**

* Styles Clash
* *Calf Crusher* (WWE) / *Calf Killer* (NJPW/TNA/W-1) / Calf slicer (Independent circuit/ROH) – 2013–present
* *Phenomenal Forearm* (WWE) / Springboard forearm smash (TNA/ROH/NJPW/AAA/W-1)
* *Spiral Tap* (Corkscrew senton bomb) – 2002–2013; used rarely thereafter
* *Superman* (Springboard 450° splash)
* Figure-four leglock – 2010–2011; adopted from Ric Flair
* Flying armbar – 2008–2009
* Frog splash – 2003–2006

**Signature moves**

* *Bloody Sunday* (Lifting single underhook DDT) – 2014–2016; adopted from Prince Devitt
* Brainbuster, sometimes onto the ring apron
* Discus clothesline
* Diving knee drop
* *Ushigoroshi* (Fireman's carry neckbreaker) - name adopted from Hirooki Goto
* Fireman's carry facebuster
* Frankensteiner, sometimes inverted or preceded by a kip-up
* *Hollow Point* (Kneeling ganso bomb) – 2014–2015
* Multiple DDT variations
	+ *Cliffhanger* (Crucifix hold dropped into a)
	+ *Phenomenon* / *Stylin' DDT* (Springboard moonsault onto a standing opponent transitioned into an inverted)
	+ *Tornado*
* Multiple kick variations
	+ Drop, sometimes from the top rope
	+ Enzuigiri
	+ *Pelé Kick* (Backflip)
	+ Spin
	+ Super
* Multiple suplex variations
	+ Snap, sometimes into the turnbuckles
	+ *Starmaker* (High-angle belly-to-back)
	+ *Styles Suplex Special* (German followed by a belly-to-back wheelbarrow facebuster)
	+ Vertical lifted and dropped into a neckbreaker slam
* Muta Lock
* Over-the-shoulder back-to-belly piledriver
* *Phenomenal Blitz*(Two punches, followed by a kick, followed by a back elbow, followed by a lariat)
* *Rack Bomb* (Backbreaker rack dropped into a powerbomb)
* Running swinging neckbreaker
* *Shooting Styles Press* (Springboard shooting star plancha) – 2001–2005; used rarely thereafter
* *Spine Breaker* (Backbreaker followed by a gutbuster)
* Springboard forearm smash
* *Stylin' Crab* (Modified Boston crab) – 2001–2002
* Dropkick