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Phenomenal! A. J. Styles is TNA's first PWI 500 winner!

Phenomenal! A. J. Styles is TNA's first PWI 500 winner!

Posted: Jul 15th 2010 By: mikeiles

A. J. Styles still vividly remembers the phone call that would change his life.

It was April 2002, and on the other end of the line was John Laurinaitis from the office of WWE talent relations. ?Johnny Ace,? as he is known, was offering Styles a developmental contract with the company. As exciting as that might sound for a 23-year-old independent wrestler who was supplementing his wrestling income by mowing lawns, Styles had other things to consider, like a wife who was still attending college, that he would have to relocate from Gainesville, Georgia, to Cincinnati, Ohio, and the fact that the job would pay a mere $500 a week.

Styles thanked Laurinaitis for the offer and told him he?d have to discuss it with his wife. Shortly thereafter, he called Johnny Ace and turned down the offer.

?It was a family decision,? Styles said. ?I was not going to leave my wife to go pursue a wrestling career, and maybe prevent her from going after her own dreams. I just didn?t think that was right. I remember hanging up after I told Johnny Ace that. I was sick. I was sick to my stomach.?

As it turned out, the decision would set Styles on a course to becoming one of the most accomplished and respected wrestlers of the past decade?a course that culminates in the pages before you.

On the heels of the most impressive year of his career?one in which he wore the TNA World championship belt for seven months and had thrilling matches with a wide variety of opponents?Styles becomes the first-ever TNA wrestler to achieve a number-one ranking in the ?PWI 500.?

And Styles can?t help but wonder if he would ever have come this far had that fateful phone call ended differently.

?I think about that all the time. Where would I have been if I had taken that contract with WWE? Would I have been released in three months?? said Styles, who joined TNA weeks after turning down the WWE offer, and even competed in the very first match in TNA history. ?It seems like to me that it was a blessing. Coming to TNA and growing with them and growing the name of A. J. Styles turned out to be the best thing for me. And your magazine is proof positive.?

Styles, 32, said he was both excited and ?flabbergasted? when he learned of his number-one ranking. His surprise has nothing to do with his own self-worth, but rather the realization of WWE?s dominance in the sport. A WWE wrestler has ranked number one in 17 of the 19 previous ?PWI 500? lists, including the past 11 in a row.

?I think we have a lot of great wrestlers on this roster that deserve to be right up there, as well. But we go up against a monster known as WWE, and sometimes it?s hard for other people to take notice of what we think is the best,? Styles said. ?What an honor it is for the PWI staff to say, ?You know what? This guy deserves to be number one.? It means a lot to me. It really does, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.?

Styles gradual climb up the ?PWI 500? has mirrored his rise in the sport, and the peaks and valleys he encountered along the way. He broke onto the list in his third year as a pro at number 458 after creating a buzz in NWA Wildside.

?It was like barely making it in, and I thought, Oh man, that?s awesome. I thought it was so cool,? said Styles, who jumped to number 199 in 2001 after getting a bit of national exposure in WCW. ?And year after year you?re like, I wonder where I am, and you?d check out where you were ? But I always checked it out. I know guys who wore jackets that had their ?PWI 500? rankings on them. So, obviously it means not just something to me, but to a lot of other people.?

It was in TNA that Styles made the wrestling world take notice. He jumped to number 11 in 2003 after his first full year in the fledgling company, and earned spots in the top 10 in both 2004 and 2005?years in which he wore TNA?s heavyweight championship.

But it took until this most recent ?PWI 500? grading period for Styles to fully realize his potential. Styles? incredible run in the sport began in September, when he won his first recognized World title at TNA?s No Surrender pay-per-view.

In the months that followed, Styles stole one TNA show after the next with thrilling title defenses against the likes of Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and Sting.

The Gainesville, Georgia, native, counts as the highlights of his year his series of matches against long-time adversary Kurt Angle, including ?tearing it up? on the special live edition of Impact on Monday, January 4.

?I know we went out there and left it all in the ring ? We had nothing else to give,? Styles said. ?That will always be one of those moments that I?ll never forget.?

Styles said he also grew exponentially as a performer over the last year by working alongside such greats as Hulk Hogan and his on-screen mentor, Ric Flair, whom he called a wrestling ?genius.?

But Styles also acknowledges that the past year in TNA has not always gone smoothly. Styles said he has at times had to defend his employer from criticisms lobbied from fans and observers, and at other times been the source of some criticism.

?It?s a roller-coaster ride. There?s good and bad. Something may work. Something may not,? said Styles, who publicly questioned whether recent TNA content was suitable for younger children.

?If there?s any negativity,? he said, ?it?s because I only want this company to do well ? And that?s what everybody wants.?

Styles said he realizes that his personal success in the sport is linked to that of TNA as a whole. For his part, Styles said he intends to keep learning, keep having the most entertaining match on every TNA show, and keep convincing one fan after the next that he really is the best wrestler in the sport today.

?I know I?m here for the long haul, so I?m going to force you guys to put me at number one again,? Styles said. ?That?s all there is to it. There?s no way you?re going to keep me out of there.?

 

Tags: A. J. Styles, TNA, WWE, WCW, Ric Flair

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Spotlight in History

  • 1959 Danny McShain def. The Zebra Kid for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 1960 Danny Hodge def. Angelo Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
  • 1979 Mark Lewin def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 1981 Bob Roop def. Super Destroyer for the MSW Louisiana Title
  • 1985 Butch Reed def. Dutch Mantell for the MSW Television Title
  • 2012 Cody Jones def. Les Mayne for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
  • 2016 Nathan Estrada def. Adrian Dell for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 2016 Steven Cruze def. Seth Angel for the ComPro Showtime Title
  • 2017 Future Hall of Famers/Impact, Inc. (Johnny Z & Damien Morte & Jermaine Johnson) became the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 2017 Ryan Davidson def. Aaron Anders for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 2017 Aaron Anders def. Brian Breaker for the ComPro Heavyweight Title
  • 2017 Wesley Crane def. Skyler Fayden for the UWE United States Title
  • 2023 Tyler Midas def. The Lunchador for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title

Week of Sun 07-19 to Sat: 07-25

  • 07-19 1968 Fritz Von Erich & Grizzly Smith def. The Spoiler & Gary Hart for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 07-19 1968 Jack Dalton [1st] & Jim Dalton became the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champions
  • 07-19 1971 Thunderbolt Patterson & Toru Tanaka def. Johnny Valentine & Wahoo McDaniel for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 07-19 1982 Bill Irwin def. Brian Adias for the WCCW Television Title
  • 07-19 2008 Dane Griffin def. Les Mayne for the 3DW Texoma Title
  • 07-19 2013 Big Daddy Moore became the BPPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 07-19 2019 Shawn Sanders became the ASP Inter-County Champion
  • 07-19 2019 Xavior def. Paul Puertorico for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
  • 07-19 2019 Team Boner (Drake Gallows & Mascara La Parka) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
  • 07-19 2024 Father Padge became the MajCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 07-19 2024 Brandon Warhawk became the MajCW Flawless Champion
  • 07-19 2024 Hell's Kitchen (The Canadian Red Devil & The Lunchador) became the MajCW Tag Team Champions
  • 07-19 2024 Lunchador became the MajCW 24/7 On Call Champion
  • 07-19 2024 Nightwolf became the MajCW Native American Champion
  • 07-19 2024 Cardinal Sin def. Lunchador for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 07-19 2024 Jason Simon/Bishop Simon def. Nightwolf for the MajCW Native American Title
  • 07-19 2024 Deacon Hendrix def. Cardinal Sin for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 07-19 2024 Tyler Shade def. Deacon Hendrix for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 07-20 1961 Waldo Von Erich def. Tony Martin for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-20 1979 Gino Hernandez & El Gran Markus def. Jose Lothario & El Halcon for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 07-20 1986 Eddie Gilbert & Sting def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the UWF Tag Team Titles
  • 07-20 2008 The Forsaken (Michael Faith & Halo) def. Limited Edition (Les Mayne & Dane Griffin) for the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 07-20 2013 Drake Gallows became the IZW Impact Division Champion
  • 07-20 2013 Kareem Sadat became the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 07-20 2014 The K. C. Wolves (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) became the WFC Tag Team Champions
  • 07-20 2018 Double D def. Colby Black for the MSWA eXpress Title
  • 07-20 2026 Vincent Cross def. Bang Bang Bennett for the RDW Na'Cho Momma's Hardcore Title
  • 07-21 1947 Buddy Rogers def. Dale Levin for the NWA Midwest World Title
  • 07-21 1979 Bill Watts & Buck Robley def. The Assassin & The Angel [1st] for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
  • 07-21 2012 The Mercenary became the UWE United States Champion
  • 07-21 2012 L. J. McDaniels became the SWCW Womens Champion
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  • 07-21 2012 Angel Blue def. Venus for the IZW Queens Title
  • 07-21 2018 Drake Gallows def. Alex Royal for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 07-21 2018 Alex Royal def. Drake Gallows for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 07-22 1959 Danny McShain def. The Zebra Kid for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-22 1960 Danny Hodge def. Angelo Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
  • 07-22 1979 Mark Lewin def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-22 1981 Bob Roop def. Super Destroyer for the MSW Louisiana Title
  • 07-22 1985 Butch Reed def. Dutch Mantell for the MSW Television Title
  • 07-22 2012 Cody Jones def. Les Mayne for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
  • 07-22 2016 Nathan Estrada def. Adrian Dell for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 07-22 2016 Steven Cruze def. Seth Angel for the ComPro Showtime Title
  • 07-22 2017 Future Hall of Famers/Impact, Inc. (Johnny Z & Damien Morte & Jermaine Johnson) became the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 07-22 2017 Ryan Davidson def. Aaron Anders for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 07-22 2017 Aaron Anders def. Brian Breaker for the ComPro Heavyweight Title
  • 07-22 2017 Wesley Crane def. Skyler Fayden for the UWE United States Title
  • 07-22 2023 Tyler Midas def. The Lunchador for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 07-23 1967 Karl Kox def. Waldo Von Erich for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-23 1979 Kerry Von Erich & Bruiser Brody became the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champions
  • 07-23 2004 Rocco Valentino def. Justin Lee for the TPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
  • 07-23 2005 Tyler Bateman def. John O'Malley for the MSWA Tri-State Title
  • 07-23 2011 John E. Stone def. Kevin James Sanchez for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
  • 07-23 2011 Double D def. Michael Barry for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 07-23 2011 Teila & El Hoto Loco def. Chris Von Luhr & Jason Noal for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 07-23 2011 Chris Von Luhr & Jason Noal def. Teila & El Hoto Loco for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 07-23 2021 Ky-Ote def. Dane Griffin for the TexPro Oklahoma Title
  • 07-24 1983 Magnum T. A. & Jim Duggan def. Ted DiBiase & Mr. Olympia for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 07-24 2005 Brandon Groom & American Anarchy became the NWA-U Oklahoma Tag Team Champions
  • 07-24 2010 The Hardcore Connection (Maniac Mike & Shane Sanchez) def. X-Rated (Bobby Star & Kevin James Sanchez) for the SWCW Tag Team Titles
  • 07-24 2010 Kareem Sadat became the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 07-24 2010 Brandon Walker def. Jonathan Cross for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 07-24 2010 Jonathan Cross def. Brandon Walker for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 07-24 2019 Antonio Vega def. Shawn Sanders for the ASP Inter-County Title
  • 07-24 2020 Derek James def. Alex Royal for the BPW Oklahoma Title
  • 07-24 2020 Size Matters (Sam Stackhouse & Mike Starr) def. Legend Has It (Thrash & Killbane) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
  • 07-24 2020 Ethan Cole def. Tommy Dean for the BPW Lion Heart Title
  • 07-24 2022 Sam Stackhouse became the WCR Heavyweight Champion
  • 07-25 1957 Duke Keomuka def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-25 1962 Hiro Matsuda & Don Kent def. Alberto Torres & Ramon Torres for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
  • 07-25 1966 Tony Borne def. Louie Tillet for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-25 1977 Captain USA def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 07-25 1980 Ken Mantell became the MSW Louisiana Champion
  • 07-25 1981 Eddie Gilbert & Ricky Morton def. Ed Wiskowski & Mike George for the TSW Tag Team Titles
  • 07-25 1983 Jimmy Garvin def. Kevin Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 07-25 1988 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. John Tatum & Jack Victory for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Titles
  • 07-25 2009 Team SuperBad (El Super Colibri & Justin Lee) def. Crazy Beautiful (Brett Taylor & Michael York) for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 07-25 2015 La Famiglia (Luke Grayson & Thomas Knight) def. Seth Angel & Adrian Dell for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 07-25 2020 Real Dirty Brawlers (Brawler Morrison & Thrash) def. Tommy Dean for the WFC Tag Team Titles
  • 07-25 2020 Jon Cross def. Luke Langley for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title
  • 07-25 2020 Tim Rockwell def. Jon Cross for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title
  • 07-25 2021 Thrash def. Luke Savage for the ASP Mid-American Title
07-22
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  • Amanda Barricade Aug 2nd
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