Source: Bailey and Southside
In an interview with Bailey and Southside on Rock 100.5 in Atlanta, Georgia, AJ Styles riffed on multiple subjects from the prestige of WWE and, more notably, how the company itself has evolved.
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“Things have changed. Not everybody is 6’8″ and 400 lbs. That’s not the way we went. We actually went the different direction where normal looking guys like myself are getting in the ring and performing at a huge level. We’re giving the fans what they want to see.”
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Of all of the Indy stars to transplant to WWE and NXT, Styles has by far enjoyed the most success. Since going WWE’s main roster in January of 2016, Styles rocketed up the card to win the WWE Championship. However, his most notable accomplishment may be his clean win over John Cena at 2016’s SummerSlam.
AJ Styles’ matches in WWE have become instant classics, making him one of the few must-watch talents the company employs. Standing under 6 ft tall, Styles is one of WWE’s smallest wrestlers in the main event picture. Transcending the well-documented size prejudice Vince McMahon and Co. have toward their superstars may be Styles’ most impactful victory.
Has AJ Styles reinstated WWE’s trust for smaller guys? It’s debatable. Other lightweight competitors like Finn Balor have certainly enjoyed time in the limelight, but who knows how long that will last. 205 Live was created specifically to segregate smaller wrestlers and has become all too easy for WWE and its fans to disregard. Even non-imposing talents like Sami Zayn have had trouble gaining meaningful traction in WWE storylines.
Upon further review, AJ Styles is the exception.
So yes, a smaller guy can make it to the top of WWE. But, he’s going to have to be unconditionally amazing. Like Shawn Michaels was. Like AJ Styles is. While WWE seems to be enabling smaller wrestlers more than ever, they still have their preference for monster guys. I mean, how much buzz did Braun Strowman ignite in just a few months of relevant booking?
So while Styles will keep climbing, don’t expect that to be WWE’s new policy. At its heart, WWE is still a carnival – they need their freaks. AJ Styles is a freak, but not in the standard strong man standard. He’s the best wrestler on the planet at 40 years old. AJ Styles represents novelty and for other smaller guys to follow in his footsteps, they’ll have to be nothing short of exceptional.
(Thanks to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription)
