Wooaaaaaaaah
Everyday in my life
I let the inside show through the outside
I'm tryin' to do my best to past the test
And show respect to the other guy
I let'em know I never run away
Learn to fly and you'll be on your way
With my heads in the clouds and a smile on my face
I am alive and I'm seconds awayv
The scene opens up in a small room with a light blue wall. There is a cream colored love seat type chair a few feet from the corner where this is a large oak side table. On top of the table sits a white vase with flower designs going from bottom to top. Inside the vase are large blue Perennial flowers. AJ Styles is sitting in the love seat wearing a white AJ Styles t-shirt, a golden cross necklace, faded blue jeans, and a pair of white sneakers. Around AJ’s wrist was a solid gold watch that was given to him by his now mentor Ric Flair.
AJ Styles: It’s no secret about my past and where I grew up and how I lived. I have never shied away from that. I have always used that to make me stronger, to make me a better man, the man that I am today. Every man I have ever faced wants to go back to my past and talk about how my family was poor and I grew up in a bad neighborhood. You know, I grew up in a trailer that wasn’t that big, we didn’t have television, so I never watched wrestling, as a kid the only enjoyment we had was being able to go outside and finding something to do for fun like football, or baseball, or basketball.
It’s only because my friends wanted to try out this wrestling school that I even got into wrestling in the first place. We all went into this together and I was the only one come out of it. I didn’t really ever think this would be where I ended up in life but with God, you never know what might come your way. I have been very blessed in my career so far. I have met many great people that have become lifelong friends. I have been able to accomplish much in the years that I have been in the business now. In TNA when it was around I was the first grand slam champion holding every major title. That to me was an honor that they trusted me to carry the business knowing that I loved the business and wanted to put on the best show each and every night.
After TNA was bought out by WWER I made the switch over deciding that I just wasn’t ready for my career to be over yet. My first match in WWER was on ROH, where I’m still at, and it was in a gauntlet match for the ROH World Championship. I’m not going to say I was shocked that I won this match because with Ric Flair as my manager he has really made me open my eyes to just how talented I really am. I will say though that it was a great feeling being on top once again in a company. I didn’t really get a chance to hold the title for as long as I would have liked losing it to Alexander Malakian at the 8th Anniversary Show. But I knew when I lost that I wanted my rematch to be at Wrestlemania so that I could prove not only to myself but to everyone that when it comes to the biggest stage, I am the best.
People have been asking me about Ken Anderson ever since he attacked me a couple of weeks ago. They want to know if what we are doing is some kind of trick to put Alexander Malakian in a no win situation. I wish that were the case, but it’s not. You see just like what happened with the rest of the Horsemen, Ken got jealous of me and wanted the spotlight for himself. And I’m sure in his mind he though the best way to do that was to attack me and put himself in the main event at Wrestlemania with me and Malakian. So that is my road to Wrestlemania story, it has all the makings of a fairy tale so far, with a great beginning, a troublesome middle, and at the end of Wrestlemania I will be the new ROH World Champion and it’ll be the happy ending.
You are, you are
I am, I am
You are, you are
I am, I am
AJ Styles:I have faced many different types of men since I have started in this business. The one thing that is true about all my opponents is that I never back down no matter who they are or what type of advantage they may have over me. When Alexander Malakian took the challenge at the 8th Anniversary Show I’d say he found me at a weak point. Ric was transitioning me into the ROH World Champion that I should be, the kind that should represent this company and Malakain like many others went after my past. It caught me off guard and I lost my temper which caused me to lose my concentration. And when it was said and done he won the match. This time around though, I still have Ric in my corner giving me advice, but I’m more level headed. I know what I have to do now and none of Alexander Malakian’s tricks are going to work on me.
I have a problem with Alexander Malakian holding that World Title. There are a few reasons why, and the first is that it is mine. I don’t know where Alexander Malakian is from, and I could care less really, but if you just look at the guy though, you can tell that he is unfit to be the World Champion. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was high during our match. I can’t prove it right now, but I’m pretty sure that guy is on some type of drugs. He is not the role model you want kids watching our show to be like. I think the only reason parents are still letting kids watch is so that they can see me beat him and get that title again.
I’m not going to say that I am perfect. The only perfect person was my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But when it comes to this business, I am the best choice. Like I said earlier in the interview I grew up with nothing, and now look at me. I am the best example to show kids that anyone can come from any type of home and grow up to be a success if they work hard enough. Not only should they look at me for what I have achieved but how I dress. When you look at Alexander Malakian, it looks like he has been wearing the same clothes for days without washing them. And further than even Alexander Malakian, the youth you see out in the world today who wear their pants below their waste and just looks like thugs. When I’m at business meetings or working in general I’m wearing suits because that shows that I’m dressed for success, and when I’m not at work and I’m relaxing like now, you don’t see my pants hanging down at my knees, it’s called a belt guys, go out and buy one.
Over all being the Champion is more than just holding that belt. You have to dress the part, which means you need to be able to represent the company when going to meetings or outings that involve the fans as well as when you have to be in an office environment. You have to act the part of a World Champion, which means you garner respect from the guys in the back as well as the fans, so act like it. You have to be an adult. You have to know that you are on the top and you have to act like the best. And finally, you have to be able to perform on a top level every night. Your goal every night should be to leave every one standing on their feet in amazement at the match you just had. You have to make them see why you are the best. That reason is what makes the people go out and buy the tickets to pay to see you. That is what it takes to be a World Champion. I have all of that and I will prove that at Wrestlemania when I win my World Title back.
When I fight, it's not evil
Just like bein' Evil Kinevel
I just to the left and I roll to the right
Just tryin' to win the belt every night
AJ StyIes: think when you come into this business there is ultimately one goal in every one’s mind, and that is to be the best, and being the best means being the World Champion. I have seen many guys come into this business with the attitude to want to be the best but didn’t have something that was able to take them to the top. There is so much to being the best that most people don’t realize that it is a full time job outside the ring as well as inside the ring. The first thing I tell people is that you should be prepared to not be able to see your family for long periods of time because you will be on the road pretty much all year around.
If you can handle that then you need to have microphone skills. You have got to be able to speak to a crowd that is in the arena as well as being able to go out and promote the business on a daily and nightly basis. If don’t have a personality and you come out bland then no one is going to pay attention to you. And you can believe that if you aren’t drawing in ratings then you will be thrown to the wayside real quick in this business. The way your project yourself is a major part of this business. It’s not something you can get around. And if you do survive without having a good personality or microphone skills then you won’t make it very far up the ladder.
Athletic ability is another part in becoming a top star. When you look at guys from wrestling past they have all possessed some athletic ability that drew the fans to them. My style is what most would call Lucha Libra, or the high flying aspects would be at least. When the fans seeing me leave my feet and take to the air it brings them to their feet to see just what I’m going to do. Over the years I have tried to find different ways to do different maneuvers that not only work effectively in the ring but also make the fans just go wow at what they just saw. You can go into a match and use your basic wrestling maneuvers sure, but will the fans remember it as a good match, probably not.
The last thing is purely in my opinion but I have found that it helps your career out so much if you do this. Having friends, guys you can count on is something major to me. You have spend every day with these guys, they are like family if you like them or not. Even so there are what people may call cliqs. In those cliqs you will find the guys who are truly friends outside the ring, the ones that ride together, room together, and help take care of each other. I have only had very few people in the business I called “friend.” Ric Flair, Christopher Danials, Samoa Joe, and one guy who you will hear me talk about in just moment Ken Anderson. Those are guys I have been able to trust, with the exception of one that is, and everyone knows who that is.
It takes everything I just mentioned to come into this business, stay in this business, and ultimately succeed in this business. I won’t say fame and fortune come right away because it doesn’t. It’s something you really have to work your ass off to achieve. You will hear just about every one mention this and it’s true, you have to pay your dues in this business before you can go to the top. If you can stick with it and you have all the attributes then you can achieve your dream. I am proof of that statement.
You are, you are
I am, I am
You are, you are
I am, I am
I am, I am
Wooaaaaaaaah, ohh
I am, I am
AJ Styles: I mentioned friends just a moment ago and one of those guys in particular being Ken Anderson. Ken and I go back to our days in TNA. Ken came over from the former WWE promotion and Indy circuit and that is when I met him backstage at his first pay per view event. I remember I was actually the World Champion in TNA at that point and I was defending my title against Kurt Angle that night. That was the first night that Ric Flair was my manger at ringside. I liked Ken a lot because he seemed a lot like me in the sense that he loved this business as much as me and he wanted to strive to the best.
Ken and I actually got to team up a few times while in TNA and got to work together and I’m not going to take anything away from his in ring ability. Ken is a great athlete and when you get the guy on a mic you better watch out. His personality just drew Ric and I to him. It didn’t take long before Ken and I became quick friends. When TNA went down the drain due to WWER we both weren’t sure what was going to happen. I ended up signing with WWER and came to ROH. When Ric came with me we weren’t impressed with what ROH had to offer and we wanted to do something that was going to make a statement to everyone in the business. When we sat down and though it about, we knew what he had come up with would also make history.
Ric made the call to Ken at his home and asked to meet him over dinner. You have heard this story before so I won’t go over it again. But the basis is that Ken was the one guy we knew we wanted with us when we re-created the 4 Horsemen. When Ken agreed to come over to ROH and join us in this venture there were so many plans, but on a greater note, I was just glad to have one more person there that I knew and could trust. Or I should say that I thought I could trust and could at that point in time. The problem when it comes to creating any faction, especially a faction that holds four guys who are main event potential is the egos. Not everyone can be the World Champion, and it so happened I was the World Champion at the time.
I guess you can say it was only a matter of time before the Horsemen fell apart. One by one we saw the breakdown of the Horsemen. I knew the Horsemen had come to an end when Kaz decided to leave ROH to pursue other ventures. The last thing I expected though was for Ken to attack me from behind and leave me in the ring with Malakian and Danny X. I will even admit I didn’t see it coming. I know that Ken wanted a shot at the World Champion and he was next in line with the pick 6 rankings but I just didn’t think he would approach the idea of pursing it in that way.
I don’t blame Ken for what he did, when I think about it in my mind I would have done the same thing. Attacking me was the quickest way to make the biggest statement saying that now I’m in this match too. Ken did what he had do to get himself in the main event at Wresltemania. At Wrestlemania I’m not looking to take Ken out, my only goal that night will be to win my title back. But after Mania, Ken, I’ll give you a shot at my title, and it’ll be just you and me, and we’ll see who is the better man when it is all said and done. My friend, when that time comes, I will be looking to take you out.
When I fight, it's not evil
Just like bein' Evil Kineval
I just to the left and I roll to the right
Just tryin' to win the belt every night
You are, you are
I am, I am
You are, you are
I am, I am
You are, you are
I am, I am
You are, you are
I am, I am
I am, I am
I am, I am
Wooaaaaaaaah, ohh
I am, I am
I am, I am
AJ Styles: I came from humble beginnings in a small town with nothing to my name. I grew up not knowing the pleasures of having money and fame. Coming into this business has truly been my saving grace to my life. Without the world of wrestling I don’t know where I would be today. If I ever got hurt and wasn’t able to compete again I just don’t know what my life would be like. This is my life, and since it is my life I want to strive to be the best I can be at my life. There is only one way I know to be the best at my life.
Wrestlemania is coming soon. We are on the horizon of the biggest event of the year. I’m the biggest match of my career against one guy who has my number until I defeat him and a guy who I considered a friend who turned on me and knows my every move. You would think I’d be nervous or scared going into this match, but to the contrary, I’m very excited. It’s the moments like Wrestlemania that define a career and for me brings out my best. I’m ready to go out there and prove to the world that I am the best wrestler today. I’m ready to prove to the world why they call me The Phenomenal AJ Styles!
No comments:
Post a Comment