The fans expect multiple attributes in certain pro-wrestlers before they get fully invested in them. In-ring skills are one of those inevitable traits alongside mic-skills, an innovative mind, and the ability to tell a story. Only a few wrestlers went on to master those traits and portray them throughout their careers, and The Phenomenal AJ Styles has to be at the top end of the list.
Styles has lived up to his moniker as The Phenomenal One in almost every aspect of his career, which has earned him numerous accolades throughout the globe. With that said, let's take a look at the decorated career of AJ Styles through photos taken over the years.
9 Training & Debut
AJ Styles didn't have an easy road to become a professional wrestler as he had to battle childhood poverty and grew up with an allegedly alcoholic and abusive father. He pursued amateur wrestling in his high school days and became a 2-time state wrestling champion.
Styles tested his natural aptitude for pro-wrestling by joining a wrestling school after some persuasion from his friends. He trained under pro-wrestler Rick Michaels, and by 1998, he made his in-ring debut and started competing for National Championship Wrestling as a masked wrestler under the name Mr. Olympia.
After NCW merged with NWA Georgia to form NWA Wildside, he got renamed AJ Styles and started his phenomenal pro-wrestling journey.
8 Early WWE & WCW Appearances
AJ Styles' first major stint came in WCW when he appeared for the promotion in early 2001. Renamed as Air Styles, he teamed up with Air Paris to form the Air Raid tag team. However, he made only three appearances on WCW Thunder alongside a solitary appearance on Nitro before leaving the promotion.
He then received a tryout with WWE in July 2001, and after a couple of appearances on Jakked and Sunday Night Heat, WWE offered him a developmental contract that required him to relocate to Cincinnati, Ohio. But he had to decline that offer as it conflicted with his wife's college plans.
7 TNA & Ring Of Honor
Following his WWE exit, AJ Styles explored the independent circuit for a while before getting to Ring of Honor and TNA. ROH was his first destination, and he made his debut on the Night of Appreciation event in April 2002, in a match against Low Ki.
He made his TNA debut in June 2002 and competed on the promotion's first weekly PPV, teaming with Low Ki and Jerry Lynn in a match against The Flying Elvises. Styles continued to perform simultaneously for both ROH and TNA until he left the former in 2006.
6 Success In TNA & Departure
TNA was the promotion that introduced AJ Styles as The Phenomenal One to the wide audience, and Styles clung to the opportunity and became one of the most successful wrestlers in the promotion's history.
He's been a part of various iconic storylines throughout his TNA career and has held five world championships with the promotion. His other accolades include six reigns each, with the tag team and X Division Championships, and has also won the Television and Legends Championships.
He had achieved almost everything in TNA by the time he chose to leave the promotion following a failed contract negotiation in December 2013.
5 Return To ROH & NJPW
After his TNA exit, AJ Styles started to accept bookings for independent shows and also made his return to Ring of Honor. He returned on the January 4, 2014, taping of ROH Wrestling and defeated Roderick Strong.
He also signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling and made his return to the promotion by attacking IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. He became the new member of The Bullet Club and soon went on to take over the faction as the leader.
In his first match since his return in NJPW, Styles defeated Kazuchika Okada to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He held the title until September 2014 before dropping it to Hiroshi Tanahashi. Styles continued to compete for NJPW until January 2016, when he left the promotion to sign with WWE.
4 WWE Debut
Styles might've passed on the opportunity to sign with WWE at an early stage in his career, but he didn't let that keep him down, and he eventually returned to the promotion as a global sensation and made his phenomenal debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble match, entering as the third contestant.
The WWE Universe welcomed AJ Styles with a thundering ovation which resounded to the backstage area and reached Vince McMahon. The boss saw the huge star power in Styles and immediately put him on major programs with the likes of Chris Jericho and John Cena.
3 WWE Champion
After establishing himself as a heel during his feud with John Cena, AJ Styles turned his focus towards the WWE Championship and went on to capture the title from Dean Ambrose at the 2016 Backlash event. He held the title for 140 days until he dropped it to John Cena at the 2017 Royal Rumble.
Following the loss, he entered into a rivalry with Shane McMahon, which culminated in a match between the two at WrestleMania 33, where Styles emerged as the winner.
He turned face after WrestleMania 33 and had multiple reigns with the United States Championship before winning his second WWE Championship from Jinder Mahal on the November 7, 2017, episode of SmackDown. The title reign lasted for 371-days, and Styles defended it against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe before dropping it to Daniel Bryan.
2 The Undertaker's Last Opponent
After losing the WWE Championship, AJ Styles continued his impressive run and had a successful outing against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 35. Following the event, he got drafted to Raw in the superstar shakeup and unsuccessfully challenged Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship.
However, things started to go his way after Styles reunited with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to reform The Club under the new name The O.C. The reformation led to another heel turn which led to Styles winning his third United States Championship.
AJ Styles' dominant heel run would lead him to a match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36. While it didn't turn out as an in-ring competition due to COVID restrictions, WWE carried on with it as a cinematic match with The Undertaker returning as The American Badass to defeat Styles at the event. But little did Styles know that he would become the final opponent of The Undertaker as it turned out to be the Deadman's last match before he announced his retirement.
1 Teaming Up With Omos & Face Turn
After Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson got released as part of the budget cuts, AJ Styles went on to capture the Intercontinental Championship and held it for 74-days before dropping it to Jeff Hardy.
Styles then introduced the giant Omos as his new protégé and bodyguard, and together, they went on to capture the Raw Tag Team Championships from The New Day at WrestleMania 37. They held the title for 133-days until dropping it to RK-Bro at SummerSlam 2021.
Following the loss, Styles had a fallout with Omos and even put over the giant in a squash match. Styles then turned face and returned to singles competition. He had an unsuccessful attempt at capturing the WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber event, but following the news of him signing a new contract with WWE, we can expect Styles to reach the top of the ladder once again.
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