WWE News: Seth Rollins Wants A Match With AJ Styles
The current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and the former TNA and IWGP Champion AJ Styles are arguably the two best in-ring performers in professional wrestling today. They’re both extremely respected by their peers, and, at this moment, the two of them are doing the best work of their respective pro wrestling careers.
Other than wrestling in two dark matches for WWE in 2002, one against The Hurricane, and the other against Rico Constantino, AJ Styles has never worked for WWE, and it would appear that WWE doesn’t have much interest in signing him, as they haven’t attempted to sign the former TNA Champion since then.
Styles left TNA and became a free agent in 2013. Many were hoping that he’d finally make the jump to WWE, but, he ended up in both Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling, and he’s thriving in both organizations.
If Styles ever did make the jump to WWE, there’s a handful of guys that wrestling fans all over the world would love to see him step in the ring with, and Seth Rollins is one of them.
In an interview with CBS Radio Dallas, the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion was asked about AJ Styles, and he answered the question by praising AJ’s work and saying that he would absolutely love to have a match with Styles if he ever decided to sign with WWE.
“I don’t talk to AJ on the regular, but I think he’s doing pretty alright in New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Bullet Club and Ring Of Honor, so he has made a great career for himself just doing his thing, doing AJ. I mean, he’s someone I’d love to work with, especially at this stage of our careers. I think we’re pretty much at the top of our games, so it’d be cool, but you never know.”
Seth Rollins isn’t the only one who would love to see AJ Styles in a WWE ring, as WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is baffled that WWE hasn’t made a run at Styles because, in Austin’s opinion, WWE is in dire-need of greater roster depth and veteran leadership in the locker room.
Austin appeared on Ric Flair’s WOOO! Nation podcast and said that AJ Styles deserves a run in WWE. Austin also added that he’s a huge fan of Styles’ work, calling him a “bad a**.”
“I don’t know why WWE doesn’t hire AJ Styles right now. I wouldn’t put him on the Shawn Michaels level, but the stuff that he can do in the ring, and as talented as he is, I believe the kid deserves a run in WWE. I’ve never even met him, but I think he’s bad-a**”
Flair agreed with Austin, and compared Styles to WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, whom many believe to be the greatest in-ring performer in the history of the business.
Back in August, Styles talked about his wrestling future, and commented on the possibility of him joining WWE, saying that, if WWE made him an offer, he’d listen.
Styles also added that he plans to retire from the ring at the age of 42, which will be a little under four years from now.
As Rollins said, both himself and Styles are at the top of their game, so a match-up between the two would be nothing short of fabulous. In the past, TNA mainstays like Styles haven’t even been on WWE’s radar, as Vince McMahon was dead-set on not signing TNA guys. But, McMahon has reportedly softened his stance on ex-TNA talent thanks to the success of Samoa Joe in NXT, and he’s more open to signing guys who were mainstays in the promotion. So, the “TNA stain” may no longer be affecting the chances of AJ Styles signing with WWE.
[Image via WWE]
