Does AJ Styles Rank As A Top 10 Worker In WWE History?

[cjb01: Limited Edition Item!]

Talking in ring mat general? I'd be hard pressed to leave him out of there.

Even talking mic skill if he isn't Top 10 I'd put him somewhere in a Top 20...

[corndog]

Jan 17, 2018 18:31:17 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

No, because today's generation of wrestlers demonstrate very little match psychology. It could be that they aren't allowed to show it, but I lean more towards thinking it's simply a lost art. He's a great athlete, but that's not enough.

There was quite a bit of storytelling in both AJ/Shane and even more so for AJ/Lesnar. But I agree, too many people just want to "get their shit in" and go home.

[Tenshigure]

Jan 24, 2018 12:56:03 GMT -5 corndog said:

There was quite a bit of storytelling in both AJ/Shane and even more so for AJ/Lesnar. But I agree, too many people just want to "get their shit in" and go home.

I honestly attribute that more to the demands of WWE's booking methods over the wrestlers themselves. They're demanded to hit signature spots within their (on average) 10-15 minute window, no matter how ridiculous the setups for said spots are (ie if you're facing Mysterio, you'll land on that middle rope no matter what!). It's the same reason why guys are mocked about their "X Moves of Doom".

AJ is certainly capable of so much more when given the time to actually tell a story where there isn't one (see AJ vs Finn at TLC 2017), but I'm willing to bet that many others on the roster would be able to do the same if not more if they were actually given the time and lost the restrictions they're forced to work under due to micro-management.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Not yet it's too soon.

Here's my list.

1. HBK
2. Bret
3. Steamboat
4. Backlund
5. Jericho
6. Macho Man
7. Eddie Guerrero
8. Jake Roberts
9. Ted Dibiase
10. Daniel Bryan

[Deleted]

If AJ retired tomorrow I think only the Cena matches would be remembered as classics years from now. He just hasn’t been in WWE long enough or had enough great stuff to overtake the likes of Michaels/Hart/Savage/Angle/Jericho/Austin/HHH/Taker/Cena/Foley/Rock/Benoit/Eddie/Punk/Bryan/Edge. That’s over 10 people off the top of my head who I couldn’t place AJ above on any all-time great WWE list.

[benstudd]

Jan 17, 2018 18:31:17 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

No, because today's generation of wrestlers demonstrate very little match psychology. It could be that they aren't allowed to show it, but I lean more towards thinking it's simply a lost art. He's a great athlete, but that's not enough.

Pretty much agree with that. 

[benstudd]

Jan 24, 2018 6:03:48 GMT -5 tankisfreemason said:

Jan 17, 2018 18:30:25 GMT -5 benstudd said:

lol what changed? 

The amount of people watching him, he’s more known. The different match ups he’s been able to have provides a different quality of wrestling on his end. The fact that WWE were able to promote dream matches with him, and he knocked it out of the park each time.

And what are these dreamy wrestlers that he has dream matches with? 

[Cieto]

Been watching WWE since '88 and to borrow from Jadakiss:

Top 5, dead or alive.

[AdamAFL was sooooo wrong]

AJ is one of my favourite in-ring performers of all-time so I'd absolutely say he's in my WWE Top 10 Workers.

Jan 14, 2018 15:23:01 GMT -5 mizerable said:

My top 10 would be;

Bob Backlund
Tito Santana
Randy Savage
Bret Hart
Mr. Perfect
Shawn Michaels
Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle
Daniel Bryan
AJ Styles

I consider 'worker' beyond just doing crisp moves, however being diverse as a worker goes a long ways to having a great match with just about anyone. So really, it's charisma, technique and the ability to have a good match with just about anyone. Those are the people 1O I consider the best of their era. There's a lot of very close people though. While I like Steamboat, I felt he did better work elsewhere as I do about Flair. Rick Martel and Christian would be on there but I don't think they were ever really long term booked to be a threat. I disqualified Benoit. A few others I didn't include because they were either too much of the same formula for matches or didn't have enough classics to warrant being on the list.

Not to be contrary (specifically since your list is full of people I'd put on my list) but you didn't include Steamboat and Flair because they did better work outside of WWE. Yet you included Bryan & AJ who very definitively did their best work elsewhere? Just seems strange to me.

[mizerable]

^ Very little about Flair in his prime stood out, again talking strictly what I saw out of him as a wrestler. He wasn't bad but he was leagues better before and after his WWF run. I'd actually say his 2001 return had more entertaining matches too.

Steamboat...yeah he was good but he never rose to the prominence that AJ and Bryan did in WWE. And yes, I know that contradicts things with me including Tito, but Tito had a longer and more consistent run with the company. Again, just how I see it.

[AdamAFL was sooooo wrong]

Jan 25, 2018 14:45:03 GMT -5 mizerable said:

^ Very little about Flair in his prime stood out, again talking strictly what I saw out of him as a wrestler. He wasn't bad but he was leagues better before and after his WWF run. I'd actually say his 2001 return had more entertaining matches too.

Steamboat...yeah he was good but he never rose to the prominence that AJ and Bryan did in WWE. And yes, I know that contradicts things with me including Tito, but Tito had a longer and more consistent run with the company. Again, just how I see it.

Oh, I get how Flair & Steamboat were excluded given that was your line of thinking. I was more curious as to how you managed to include AJ & Bryan using the same line of thinking.