About a month ago TNAwrestling.com had a great clearance sale with all of their older DVDs. Best of the X-Division, Best of Raven, Best of Samoa Joe, but the one I really wanted to get my hands on was The Best of A.J Styles. After watching just a few matches involving The Phenomenal One… I was hooked.
Now don’t get me wrong. I was not completely in the dark when it came to TNA or A.J Styles. Since its inception I have kept up with their storylines and enjoyed watching the product evolve but I was nowhere near a hardcore fan. After watching the Styles DVD I can only compare my response of sheer amazement to one other time after observing a wrestler. About nine years ago I finally decided to stay up late and watch ECW. In my area it came on Sunday’s at one in the morning on MSG. I wasn’t impressed with the matches and non stop plugs of merchandise and future shows. Then a highlight clip of Rob Van Dam came on, and I was blown away. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and I thought I would never have that reaction towards another wrestler again. A.J is that good.
From flipping off balconies onto Abyss, to sliding under steel guard rails instead of the simple reversal A.J Styles did everything on this DVD. Immediately I found myself interested in the career of A.J Styles. Don't believe me? Take a quick look....
In October, long before watching this DVD, I ordered the TNA Bound For Glory Pay Per View mainly for the main event between Kurt Angle and Sting. A.J at the time was in some tag match involving Pac Man Jones while being sidekick to Christian Cage. I watched a recent episode of TNA Impact thinking surely A.J has moved on to something better. Something more fitting of his unbelievable talent. Yes A.J Styles has moved on, from Christian Cage’s lackey to Kurt Angle’s.
If you don’t know the back story Christian started the Christian Coalition with himself, A.J Styles and Tomko. It was obvious that A.J played second fiddle to Christian which in the beginning I had no problem with. For one it definitely helped A.J be more comfortable in front of the camera and two it should have led to a hot feud with Christian Cage. A.J would finally break free from the mental control of Cage and become the hot baby face of TNA. A role A.J succeeded in as X and World Champion.
Instead Kurt Angle and Christian started a little rivalry that put A.J Styles in the middle of them both. Forget A.J Styles becoming a face and having his much deserved feud with Cage. No he gets pushed aside and embraces The Angle Alliance. This is no way to treat arguably the greatest home grown TNA talent of all time.
Lance Storm said it best recently in a 2008 wish list he made for Thefighnetwork.com. “The AJ Styles that I saw on Impact this week was the biggest idiot loser in this business’s history, and I’d like the return of the guy that once headlined this company as World Champion. Why anyone would take such a uniquely gifted and talented performer and turn him into the biggest Jack Ass in wrestling history is beyond me.”
The only saving grace this entire A.J Styles mess has is the predictable feud between A.J Styles and Kurt Angle. I shouldn’t say predictable knowing TNA’s creative history but this feud HAS to happen and Styles HAS to go over. TNA has cashed in most of their ‘dream’ matches. A Kurt Angle vs. A.J Styles match, if done correctly, is a dream match that I would pay to watch. But it has to be done correctly. And since they dropped the ball on a Cage vs. Styles match, I’m not sure TNA can, or wants to help A.J Styles up from his phenomenal fall.
Now don’t get me wrong. I was not completely in the dark when it came to TNA or A.J Styles. Since its inception I have kept up with their storylines and enjoyed watching the product evolve but I was nowhere near a hardcore fan. After watching the Styles DVD I can only compare my response of sheer amazement to one other time after observing a wrestler. About nine years ago I finally decided to stay up late and watch ECW. In my area it came on Sunday’s at one in the morning on MSG. I wasn’t impressed with the matches and non stop plugs of merchandise and future shows. Then a highlight clip of Rob Van Dam came on, and I was blown away. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and I thought I would never have that reaction towards another wrestler again. A.J is that good.
From flipping off balconies onto Abyss, to sliding under steel guard rails instead of the simple reversal A.J Styles did everything on this DVD. Immediately I found myself interested in the career of A.J Styles. Don't believe me? Take a quick look....
In October, long before watching this DVD, I ordered the TNA Bound For Glory Pay Per View mainly for the main event between Kurt Angle and Sting. A.J at the time was in some tag match involving Pac Man Jones while being sidekick to Christian Cage. I watched a recent episode of TNA Impact thinking surely A.J has moved on to something better. Something more fitting of his unbelievable talent. Yes A.J Styles has moved on, from Christian Cage’s lackey to Kurt Angle’s.
If you don’t know the back story Christian started the Christian Coalition with himself, A.J Styles and Tomko. It was obvious that A.J played second fiddle to Christian which in the beginning I had no problem with. For one it definitely helped A.J be more comfortable in front of the camera and two it should have led to a hot feud with Christian Cage. A.J would finally break free from the mental control of Cage and become the hot baby face of TNA. A role A.J succeeded in as X and World Champion.
Instead Kurt Angle and Christian started a little rivalry that put A.J Styles in the middle of them both. Forget A.J Styles becoming a face and having his much deserved feud with Cage. No he gets pushed aside and embraces The Angle Alliance. This is no way to treat arguably the greatest home grown TNA talent of all time.
Lance Storm said it best recently in a 2008 wish list he made for Thefighnetwork.com. “The AJ Styles that I saw on Impact this week was the biggest idiot loser in this business’s history, and I’d like the return of the guy that once headlined this company as World Champion. Why anyone would take such a uniquely gifted and talented performer and turn him into the biggest Jack Ass in wrestling history is beyond me.”
The only saving grace this entire A.J Styles mess has is the predictable feud between A.J Styles and Kurt Angle. I shouldn’t say predictable knowing TNA’s creative history but this feud HAS to happen and Styles HAS to go over. TNA has cashed in most of their ‘dream’ matches. A Kurt Angle vs. A.J Styles match, if done correctly, is a dream match that I would pay to watch. But it has to be done correctly. And since they dropped the ball on a Cage vs. Styles match, I’m not sure TNA can, or wants to help A.J Styles up from his phenomenal fall.
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