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Phenomenally Over-rated

Posted in Xtremeview by Jack at 03:50, May 07 2008

by Jason "XtremeFalls" Simmons

Phenomenally Over-rated
Originally Posted: July 5, 2006
by Jason "XtremeFalls" Simmons

In 2002 TNA wrestling was born and the company has been running since then through thick and thin. While the wrestling business has struggled to regain its self since the deaths of WCW and ECW two companies have come through the dust of there deaths and have chances to take there places. ROH and TNA have both become the 2nd and 3rd promotions in the United States and they have had a couple of standouts. One young man who stood out was a man by the name of AJ Styles. While he has flourished in the new era of wrestling I?ve noticed a lot of holes in this wrestling god.

I know while I?m writing this is the likelihood is that many smarks will disagree with this and say I?m a WWE loving mark. However just to dispute this go read my older columns and you will understand I?m not. Now to understand my points in this column I think I have to talk about the history of AJ Styles since 2001. It?s been a long road with a mostly and upside which is hard to do in wrestling.



Its about 2001 with WCW starting to die AJ Styles debuted on TV for the WWE Cruiserweight tag team title tournament with Air Paris. After an impressive showing the team was gone from the promotion after WCW was sold to the WWE. Styles was eventually offered a WWE developmental deal but he turned it down because he didn?t want to move. So until 2002 Styles floated around the wrestling promotions until he started to work for TNA and ROH. Styles quickly stood out for the promotions even winning the X-Division and Tag Team titles in the first couple of weeks in TNA. Styles eventually wound up winning the Pure Title in ROH and the first Triple Crown winner in TNA.

After his run with ROH many wrestling websites and internet smarks started to praise AJ Styles as the greatest wrestler in the industry today. Now by this point I?d seen AJ Styles and thought he was OK but nothing special. However I started to watch his TNA work where again he was praised and put over to no end by smarks and the internet sites. So while I was watching his work I was slowly less impressed by this so called wrestling god. No matter how you put it AJ Styles is not some bullet-proof wrestler who is perfection in the ring. So now I want to make it very clear why I think The Phenomenal AJ Styles is phenomenally overrated.

One the biggest things in wrestling is you need a character. Styles however does not have a character and he and TNA make less effort every year to create one for him. If you were to ask me what his character is I couldn?t tell you. He if anything is a highflying face, which isn?t going to sell T-shirts. The only time they even gave him a gimmick was when he was a cocky heel and that didn?t even last very long. The point is you?re not going to sell merchandise when you?re a colorless face who may be over but has not catchphrase or gimmick.

Also AJ Styles? microphone work is downright horrible and embarrassing whenever he is on the microphone. I heard for almost a year that his promos were just a product of TNA but once I watched an ROH Interview I realized that this guy couldn?t cut a promo to save his life. Most of his promos he stumbles over words or repeats himself or sounds like a 7 year old having a fit with his parents. Now this could probably be easily fixed with a manager of some sorts to talk for him but TNA doesn?t seem to have any reason to do that for him. Say what you want about Vince McMahon but the guy does respect the art of a promo and unlike TNA most people who can?t talk don?t get the microphone. When you?re pushing someone as hard as you have pushed AJ Styles over the past 4 years TNA should at least have Styles talk with a manager. However to be fair to AJ Styles who in TNA can really cut a half decent promo besides former WWE and WCW guys? The answer is not many.

AJ Styles as a worker is the biggest problem I have with this guy. The fact of the matter is AJ Styles is nothing more then a no selling stunt show. The guy rarely truly wrestles and according to the so-called internet smarks that?s what we really want to see. Styles ring psychology is non-existent and at times you truly wonder what is the point of certain moves he does. Take Jake the Snake Roberts and Arn Anderson for example, they weren?t the biggest or the flashiest but they got over being awesome promo men and great psychological workers.

The point of good psychology is you don?t want to keep topping all the moves you have done through out the match. What Styles should try to do is work up to the big spots instead of everything being big spots. The style AJ works not only burns out the crowd but also eventually will burn out the wrestler. Now I?m not huge wrestling genius but not selling moves and not using much ring psychology is not great wrestling now matter what you try to say. So here is my question, how does this make AJ Styles some wrestling god like the Internet media and smarks would lead you to believe?

The answer is he?s overrated by smarks. Many of these fans don?t have a clue what real wrestling truly is and just make statements about what they think it is. Also many of these so called wrestling genius are the marks who years back thought Jeff Hardy was an awesome wrestler. The fact of the matter is most of these people see Styles doing these awesome flips and think he?s the greatest thing on the planet. While Style does have talent, to say he is one of the greatest wrestlers in the business show just how important certain Internet fans and media opinions really matter.

Now you can say what you want about AJ Styles because in my opinion he is an overrated stunt show. Now that doesn?t mean he doesn?t have any talent but I think the guy needs to stop being praised as some awesome wrestler because straight up at best he?s a decent worker.

Thanks for reading, and feedback negative or positive will be answered.

by Jason Simmons

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