AJ Styles is better as a heel or as a face?

[hijuko]

Personnaly, he is very good on the 2 roles, but I would say babyface for his 2017-2018 WWE Championship reign.

[saneiac]

I prefer face, since I want to root for him.

[Fade]

Prime AJ is face AJ (I think) but he’s killed it in his heel runs.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Goofball heel AJ always has more bite than southern angry hick babyface version of AJ

As a performer you always want to cheer for him which makes him a default face but he is always more interesting as a heel since he has the ability to be goofy and still take your head off as seen with his stuff with Shane or Ellsworth

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

Depends on who he’s working with. As a face his style of ring work is ripe for comebacks and overcoming bigger opponents, but he can work people over to get the heat. With ace characters like Cena, Tanahashi and Okada he can shine as a heel, doing cool maneuvers but still wanting to see the other guy beat him.

[Citizen Snips]

I think Litdown Era AJ is the last time I was specifically tuning in to see a certain wrestler. On a show that was firing on all cylinders, he was still clearly the man.

[Triangle Lancer]

Aug 20, 2022 9:02:58 GMT -5 Fade said:

Prime AJ is face AJ (I think) but he’s killed it in his heel runs.

This right here.

That, and any role where he isn't fighting Kevin Owens.

[nisidhe]

He has a character flavour that can work well on either side, but he's been a major victim of Vince's and Dunn's inordinate distaste for all things Southern. He's at the stage of his career when he will be cheered no matter what, but I think in a babyface-starved WWE, he could really pop as that wise and wily babyface to whom fans (especially casuals and the over-50s and the kids) can cling.

[Hypnosis]

Heel, especially the 2016 Smackdown version.

[The Rick Jericho]

Heel. This 2016-17 run he had was AMAZING.

[hashtagdaley/JudasDay]

Goofy but still very capable heel. His face runs are always way too bland.

[welshpenguin]

Heel captain of the survivor series AJ is the best AJ

[Deleted]

In WWE, he's much better as a heel. As a face he loses all of his personality for some reason.

[Mozenrath]

I think he's a good face, generally, but it's hard to vote for that when him being a face has also had his oddly mediocre Owens matches and his long, plodding world championship run.

[Bo Rida]

Face. He's less likely to have the good brothers with him.

[King Devitt and the Woke Mob]

Oh man this is hard...I don't know if I can definitively pick one, I've liked him/he's excelled in both roles.

[canceled4truth]

He's one of the few guys where it's legitimately hard to pick, but I'd give the slight edge to face; it just feels more "right," even if he doesn't have a character rn.

[fw91]

either or, it's just he needs something to do. He hasn't been really relevant in quite some time.

[Deleted]

Aug 21, 2022 11:19:29 GMT -5 fw91 said:

either or, it's just he needs something to do. He hasn't been really relevant in quite some time.

This Lumis thing is a good start.

[tirtefaa]

Aug 20, 2022 9:10:07 GMT -5 Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) said:

Goofball heel AJ always has more bite than southern angry hick babyface version of AJ

While having him go this route was beneficial to becoming more comfortable on the mic and showing a knack for changing his character up, it actually hurt him for a while since he ended up becoming third string to Christian and Angle.