AJ Styles is one of the most accomplished performers on the WWE roster.
He's held championships in almost 20 companies, recorded eight different championship reigns within WWE, and now, with The OC by his side, is looking to become the top dog on the red brand once more, proving to fans that a World Champion doesn't just have to wrestle once every couple of months on a “Premium Live Event,” assuming he even opts to show up for the show, which isn't always the case for Roman Reigns.
Asked by Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post about his forthcoming match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions and whether the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title behind Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Styles scoffed at the idea, suggesting that the new strap is far from a consolation prize.
“Is it a secondary?” Styles said to the New York Post. “Well, if the Raw championship is held by Roman, the SmackDown championship is held by Roman, then how can you argue that it's not? We had to make a new championship because Roman holds them all.
“What happens if he decides to wrestle for the World Heavyweight championship? It is what it is, and we got what we got. If we make the best of it, and if and when Roman does challenge [for it], we beat the brakes off of him, whomever it might be, then we'll see what title's secondary.”
So what, in the opinion of Styles, is the significance of the new strap? Well, it means nothing less than being a workhorse who shows up on “Premium Live Events,” keeps up a robust house show schedule, and is the kind of champion fans can count on to keep fighting to maintain their spot at the top of the card.
“This guy's gonna be on the pay-per-views, he's gonna be on the live events, he's gonna do all these things that need to be done,” Styles continued. “When I was [WWE] champion, I was on all the live events, I was on all the pay-per-views, all the TV's. That's what you do.
“The price for being the World Heavyweight champion is, yes, you get the recognition of being the champion, but you also have to do the job of being the world champion. You got to be there, and you got to do the job.”
Does Styles have the making of a WWE World Heavyweight Champion? In a word, yes; Styles most recently held a title in 2021 when he and Omos secured the RAW Tag Team Championships, and at 45, he's still got plenty of top-tier matches left in the chamber. Unfortunately, to secure the win, Styles will need to secure a win against “The Visionary Seth “Freakin'” Rollins, who has been on a bit of a roll as of late.
It's a TRIPLE MAIN EVENT this Saturday at #WWENOC!
First up, @WWERollins and @AJStylesOrg meet to determine who will become the World Heavyweight Champion! pic.twitter.com/aQqa9hBKL5
— WWE (@WWE) May 23, 2023
AJ Styles has known Seth Rollins was the future since he was a teenager.
Though Seth Rollins and AJ Styles have only officially been co-workers since 2016, when the latter left NJPW to join the former in WWE, they actually did wrestle a match all the way back in 2006 at NWA No Limits Wrestling, where “The Phenomenal One” secured a win over the performer formerly known as Tyler Black.
“I know it was years and years ago, but I do remember the day after that match like ‘holy cow!” Styles said of Rollins via a clip on RAW. “He's literally gonna be a superstar one day, and, well, I was right.”
Asked about Rollins in his interview with the NY Post, Rollins acknowledged this performance too before acknowledging that “The Visionary” isn't the same man he wrestled at the Muscatine Middle School in Muscatine, Iowa.
“The first time I met him, he was just a kid,” Styles said. “He is a veteran [now]. He can get in there; he can lead the match, call the match. This guy is exactly who you want in a professional wrestler. He's the guy you look up to inside and out. He's a leader.”
Who will pull out the win at Night of Champions? Only time will tell, but whether it's Rollins or Styles, “The Phenomenal One” promises the WWE Universe that the World Heavyweight Champion is going to be represented by a fighting champion.
“I've always kind of been that guy,” Styles said. “I enjoy being that guy. I've ways wanted to be the guy that we needed. Whether it be Seth or myself, I think we are good representatives of what this championship is all about.”
Follow Us
Subscribe