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AJ Styles had a phenomenal career in the world of professional wrestling, and he has worked in major wrestling promotions like WWE, TNA Wrestling, and WCW. It is not well known to all of the fans that he got the opportunity to work in WWE back in 2001, but he was quite young back then, and he was only treated as a jobber during his first run in WWE.
After leaving WWE in 2001, AJ Styles went to the newly opened professional wrestling promotion TNA Wrestling, where he was promoted as the biggest prospect. He was one of the few wrestlers that the promotion uplifted, and he is often considered the best wrestler that TNA Wrestling ever made. He remained active at TNA Wrestling for over a decade.
AJ Styles remembers turning down WWE back in 2002
What most fans are not aware of is that Styles did not have an opportunity to work in WWE regularly from 2002 onwards, but he decided to turn down the contract, and he chose the new promotion, TNA Wrestling. The Phenomenal One recently recalled turning down WWE back in 2002 and shared why he made that decision. Speaking on “The Rich Eisen Show” with O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson, he said the following;
AJ Styles had a short run in WWE back in 2001
“Listen, this was hard for me, because of course I wanted to make it in the WWE. I wanted to at least train to be better, and I went up there and I had a decent training, and they offered me a deal.” he said, “And mind you, I had to move to Cincinnati for $500 a week. And I know that this is a couple years ago, so it’s not terrible money, but I was also making that at my regular job…and they took out taxes.”
“I delivered bottled water. It is what it is. Actually, my first job, when i got to WCW, I was delivering bottled water. By the time I got to the tryout with WWE, I was a non-emergency ambulance driver. Which means I have a van, and I go pick up people from nursing home mostly, and I take ’em to the doctor for their doctor’s appointments. One of my favorite jobs, because of the older folk that I got to talk to.”
AJ Styles has presently active in WWE since 2016
“My wife was in college to be a schoolteacher, and I just didn’t think it was right for me to go off and leave her, and her move back into her parents’ house. That is not how a husband does things. I made sure that we put her priorities, her dream first, and see what happens. And you know what? It turned out to be probably the best thing I could have done.”
AJ Styles returned to WWE in 2016 during the Royal Rumble event as a surprise participant in the Royal Rumble match, and for the last 10 years, he has been doing an amazing job in the promotion. She has won multiple World Championships and also other titles during his second run in WWE, and he is considered one of the biggest legends of the promotion.
