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Styles A Fixture In TNA

Posted: Sep 5th 2009 By: CMBurnham

A. J. Styles is TNA.

Styles, a native of nearby Gainesville, wrestled in the first match during the first pay-per-view of Total Non-Stop Action?s existence. Styles, Jerry Lynn and Low Ki lost to the Flying Elvises.

That was June 19, 2002.

More than seven years later ?The Phenomenal? A. J. Styles is a fixture in Total Non-Stop Action, the company challenging WWE for the top spot in the pro wrestling universe. Styles, along with fellow TNA star Sting, are two of the handful of wrestlers that have resisted overtures and declined contract offers from WWE chairman Vince McMahon ? arguably wrestling?s most powerful player. Despite the glamor, glitz and worldwide exposure offered by WWE, Styles intends to retire with TNA.

?I take a lot of pride in that I?ve been here since the beginning and no one?s been here longer than I have,? said Styles, 32. ?A lot of people say I?m a poster boy for TNA, but it doesn?t bother me because I?m proud of that. I?ve been here and I?ve busted my butt for seven years to see something grow and grow. And we?re going to continue to grow, and I had something to do with that.?

Growing up in Gainesville, Styles never thought of becoming a pro wrestler. Sure, he watched wrestling as a kid. He remembers fiddling with the television antenna to pick up wrestling broadcasts. And Styles remembers playing on his mother?s bed with his little brother, beating up stuffed animals. He was more involved with baseball and football. Styles also participated in amateur wrestling in high school and college.

?Never in a million years did I think as I got older pro wrestling would be something that I would try to do,? Styles said.

His first time in the ring came by chance. Styles ran into a few friends from high school who were wrestling fans. They were looking for a place to train, and Styles jokingly told them he would join them, never thinking it would happen. When his buddies found a ring about 40 miles from Styles? house, he had to go. He remembers climbing into the ring ? ?It just kind of clicked? ? and found his athletic background helped. Soon, he was pulling off jumps, flips and springboarding off the ropes.

Styles wrestled for a small independent organization in northeast Georgia. It was bought by NWA Wildside, which had a developmental deal with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and caught the eye of decision-makers with the Atlanta-based company. Styles worked for WCW for about five months in 2001. Styles refers to it as WCW?s ?dying days.?

?I was excited,? Styles said. ?We heard talks of WCW going under and we thought, ?This is WCW. Somebody will pick this up and do something with it. It?s crazy to think that wrestling, especially WCW which has been on TV for so long, would just be dead forever.? Sure enough, it happened.?

WWE bought WCW in 2001. Styles wasn?t immediately offered a contract with WWE. After time, he was asked to join WWE under a developmental deal in Cincinnati. He declined the offer because he didn?t want to be away from his wife, who was in college. TNA started about a month later and he viewed the organization as a stepping stone.

Now, he?s one of their biggest stars. He has no second thoughts about whether he should have left. He?s happy where he is. And Styles is excited about returning home to Georgia. TNA will be at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center on Sept. 12.

The organization will also hold matches in Augusta and Gainesville.

?It?s nice to be actually coming to my hometown, Augusta and Dalton,? Styles said. ?I love that because that?s my state. That?s where I belong. That?s where I don?t have to work on my accent. It makes it easier just to go down there and have fun because everybody loves seeing the hometown guy come back. They love having someone from their state and knowing they made it.?

Tags: A. J. Styles, TNA, WWE, Sting, WCW