AJ Styles made his blockbuster WWE debut of a lifetime at the 2016 Royal Rumble pay-per-view by entering the match at #3 and the rest is history.
Three years have passed since that epic debut and The Phenomenal One has been absolutely unstoppable in WWE.
Although championships and accolades don’t define him anymore, it’s worth noting that Styles has successfully cemented his legacy as a 2-time WWE Champion and a 3-time WWE United States Champion while also going down as the longest reigning SmackDown champion in the history of pro wrestling.
Unlike Drew McIntyre or Samoa Joe, Styles didn’t work in NXT upon signing with WWE. Instead, he jumped straight to the main roster.
While speaking to WWE Now, Styles explained that NXT wasn’t an option for him at the time he had signed with WWE in 2016, and it has more to do with his age rather than anything else.
“I wasn’t the youngest guy. Going through NXT, for me, wasn’t going to be an option unless you’re talking about a month just to get used to everything and learn how WWE works. Literally everything worked out the way I needed it to.”
Styles’ influence has also helped WWE in reviving Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson’s careers. The trio once used to wreak havoc as part of the Bullet Club and did leave a lasting impression during their early days as The Club in WWE.
However, since parting ways, The Good Brothers had lost direction and recently WWE again reunited the trio, this time as The O.C.
“Sometimes I’m very jealous of the people who went through NXT because they know each other so well. But at the same time, time is of the essence for me to get to the main roster and do what I do.”
At present, Styles, Gallows and Anderson are all draped in championship gold and are having the time of their lives in the biggest wrestling promotion in the world.
From winning titles to forearming opponents, P1 has had an illustrious WWE career so far.
