WWE

AJ Styles Credits Key Career Move For WWE Success

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Zack Heydorn | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 6:00 PM ET

2026 is going to be the last year of active wrestling for AJ Styles, and when his career wraps, it'll be one of the most diverse bodies of work that the pro wrestling industry has ever seen.

Styles was an independent wrestler who became he face of the TNA brand and had a robust career prior to his days with WWE. Eventually, Styles became synonymous with WWE, became a multiple-time world champion, and will undoubtedly find himself in the WWE Hall of Fame someday.

Styles finding success in WWE was never a sure bet. He joined the company when Vince McMahon was at the creative helm and was undersized compared to peers at the top of the card, like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, and others. Still, Styles found success and credits a key career move as the reason why.

In an interview with Justin Barrasso for Undisputed, Styles credited a specific time period in his career for setting him up to win in WWE.

Key career move set AJ Styles up for success in WWE

WWE

Styles says that his time working in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling is what set him up to have the most success possible in WWE.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that I may not have made it to WWE without Japan. My tenure in Japan helped me figure out who I was and what I wanted to do. When I went to WWE, Vince wanted me to be who I was in Japan. That style from Japan did not change when I went to WWE. That’s the guy Vince wanted. Maybe that’s why it got over so well.”AJ Styles (h/t WrestlePurists)

Styles joined New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2014 and became the IWGP Heavyweight Champion soon after his debut. He would go on to join the Bullet Club to become the faction's second leader.

Styles' run in New Japan included major matches against Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi, and a classic Wrestle Kingdom match against Shinsuke Nakamura.

Styles left New Japan in 2016 and debuted for WWE at the Royal Rumble that same year. Styles wrestled Chris Jericho at his first WrestleMania and became world champion that September by defeating Dean Ambrose.

Currently, AJ Styles holds gold on the WWE Raw brand. Styles and Dragon Lee are WWE World Tag Team Champions. They defeated Judgment Day to win the titles and have a scheduled rematch with them to defend the titles next week on WWE Raw.

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This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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