Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and international pro wrestling superstar AJ Styles

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to speak with former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, former TNA World Heavyweight Champion and international pro wrestling superstar, AJ Styles. After recently challenging Jay Lethal for the ROH World Title at Final Battle in Philadelphia, Styles now sets his sights on the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 10 on January 4. In addition to those matches, Styles discusses his opinion of TNA and his time in the company, his dream matches in professional wrestling, if he would ever consider a run in WWE’s NXT brand and more.

You can listen to this entire interview on the YouTube link below or you can continue past and read the interview right here.

Ring Rust Radio: On Friday, you are scheduled to square off against Jay Lethal for the world title at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle. What are your expectations for your match against Lethal and what kind of atmosphere are you expecting inside the old ECW Arena in Philadelphia?

AJ Styles: I have to tell you man, I love it when I get butterflies. The more you wrestle the fewer butterflies you get and you need that extra energy, know what I’m saying? You have to get pumped before your match. Just talking to you guys I am getting excited about it. Jay Lethal is one of the best in the world. You are not the Ring of Honor champion because you suck. This guy is amazing and I have watched him grow as a pro-wrestler and a human being. He is going down a different path and I understand it, I have been there before. I think it is going to be an amazing match.

Ring Rust Radio: What do you expect from the Philadelphia crowd?

AJ Styles: They probably are one of the best crowds on the planet. These guys know what wrestling is, they respect it and when they see something great, they go crazy. That’s what I want. Every time I have been in front of a Philly crowd they have been amazing.

Ring Rust Radio: Recently, there have been rumors of you working through a back injury. Can you talk about what kind of injury you’re dealing with and how it will impact your status for Final Battle and New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom?

AJ Styles: I’m not going to let it have an impact. I’m going to be wrestling at Final Battle and Wrestle Kingdom and I will find a way. I’m not missing these amazing events for anything. I am going to be there, I have been hurt before, and I just work through it. Everyone has at some point; it’s just what you do as a wrestler. You ignore the pain and when that adrenaline starts running it doesn’t matter what’s bothering you, you will put on the best show you can.

Ring Rust Radio: The demand for you is as high as any wrestler in the world right now. You're a top guy in both ROH and New Japan, and while that's great for exposure, I imagine it can be taxing on the body as well. At this point in your career is there any consideration given to pulling in the reins a bit or taking less dates to preserve your health?

AJ Styles: Maybe less dates because I have been going hard ever since I left TNA. I have been rocking it. Maybe less dates is something that I should look to, but as far as slowing down in the ring; no way. I have one gear and it’s all or nothing with me. That’s the reason why I came home early from the tag tournament over in New Japan. If I got back in the ring, I would have hurt myself worse because I just can’t slow down. It doesn’t matter how many people are in attendance, you are always going to get everything I have.

Ring Rust Radio: I've been a huge fan of yours since I first saw you in WCW and was excited when you joined TNA in 2002 and they quickly pushed you as one of the top talents. Do you recall knowing TNA would look to make you the face of the company when you signed with them, or were you surprised when this happened since you were still just a few years into your career? Also, what are you fondest memories of building TNA in its early years?

AJ Styles: It’s funny cause when it first started I thought it was just another indie. I didn’t worry about what they would do with me; I just knew I was there to put on killer matches. As it grew, I had to ignore rumors that they were going out of business and that I might be done there after I felt like I was part of the company. I don’t know that I was shocked that they were giving me a title. Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, and myself were always having the best matches on PPV. So it wasn’t a surprise they wanted to put us in the main event. As many bad things that did happen at TNA, there were plenty of good things as well. As I walk down to my man cave, I have old posters of TNA. Sometimes I think I should take them down, but then again I’m not ashamed of what I accomplished there. It is what it is and despite where TNA is now, when I look back it was a very positive thing for me and I learned a lot there.

Ring Rust Radio: You have spent almost two years wrestling in New Japan. What has it been like working as a top heel in front of the Japanese fans?

AJ Styles: You try to be the biggest turd you can be over there. The fact of the matter is if you put on a good show they are going to respect you either way. While they are going to go crazy for Tanahashi, Okada, or Nakamura, it’s funny that I still get praise in the same light as them even though I am a heel. It’s because they respect wrestling so much and they really enjoy it. So it’s really fun being over there and you try to be the best heel you can be, but sometimes you just give up and are this grey area of the wrestling world.

Ring Rust Radio: Wrestling from America and Japan is very different. How have you managed to find so much success during the transition to the New Japan’s unique style?

AJ Styles: I think it’s not really a style I wasn’t accustomed to; it’s the same style I have always wrestled. You get in there and do your best and do what you can go entertain the people in front of you. They respect that over there. They are quiet and you can hear everything, but that’s great because I can tell the little girl a couple of rows back cheering for Okada to shut up. I get such a reaction from that. It really is a great place to work from the talent to the office.

Ring Rust Radio: You're perhaps best known for your long, successful stint in TNA. A lot of fans feel like the TNA product has been moving in the wrong direction for the past few years. As someone who was there for the ups and downs, where or why do you think things might have started moving in the wrong direction, and what ultimately led to your departure?

AJ Styles: I think around 2009-10 they were headed in the wrong direction. They were trying to be WWE-lite and you can’t do that, you have to be different. I think that’s where the biggest mistakes were made and they didn’t trust the guys that got them to the ball game in the first place. They had all the talent they needed and didn’t need to bring in other talent. I think people were misinformed about what they could get out of it. The dial never changed when they brought in this higher talent as they thought it would. I will say Christian Cage when he came over was such an asset; he was the start of it. Then they brought in Kurt Angle, which was unbelievable, and they could have stopped there and we would have been fine. They have got to be different and turn it up. If WWE can’t do something because they are publicly traded, then there is your advantage. That just doesn’t apply to TNA, that applies to ROH as well. Everybody can do something different than WWE. I will say ROH wrestling is out of this world and nothing can compete with that. TNA they just have to change it and be different.

Ring Rust Radio: Many fans consider you the pound for pound best wrestler in the world. What does that mean to you and who do you feel is your strongest or biggest competition for that honor?

AJ Styles: It’s tough to even accept something like that because you are only as good as the guys you get in the ring with. For them to say that it makes me feel good. There are so many guys out there that I think are better like Samoa Joe, Nakamura, Tanahashi, Okada, Jay Lethal, these guys have earned that right to be called the best. Not to proclaim it themselves, but for others to give them that name. It’s an honor, but I don’t think I can accept because there are so many other great wrestlers out there.

Ring Rust Radio: Many wrestling fans would love to see you in WWE’s NXT brand. There have been recent rumors about your interest level, but is a run with NXT something that interests you and would seeing several familiar faces booked well make the jump easier?

AJ Styles: I’m going to be honest with you guys. The thing that makes wrestling most interesting to me is going to be the business that occurs after the match is over. A lot of people frown on that and say money isn’t everything. Well I say it depends on how much you have saved. My goal when I retire is to not be in a wheel chair or walk with a limp. Wherever I go, I will do my best, work harder than anybody there, and that’s just what I do. I only have one gear and if someone is looking for that and I can support my family while doing it, then that is what I will do.

Ring Rust Radio: A lot of wrestlers look at WWE as the ultimate goal, and maybe feel like there's a void in their career if they don't make it to that point. From your perspective, what more do you need to do to ensure that your career's complete? Is WWE part of that equation?

AJ Styles: It’s not, it really isn’t. I get to work in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th in front of thousands and thousands of people. That’s pretty awesome. I don’t know about you guys, but the first time I watched New Japan and saw them walk down that long ramp to the ring it was unbelievable. The fact that I get to do that, that is my wrestling moment. I wouldn’t say I would never go to WWE, but if it didn’t happen I wouldn’t go, “Oh man, I missed out. I’m the one guy that missed out.”

Ring Rust Radio: There are a lot of dreams matches fans would love to see from you, but if you could or could have wrestled anybody in history, which would be your top choice? What is your ultimate dream match?

AJ Styles: I think I am going to get the opportunity to have one of my dream matches. I have never wrestled Rey Mysterio one on one. We are going to be in England at Five Star and we are finally going to get the chance to lock up. I’m looking forward to that match, I think it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be entertaining. It’s Rey Mysterio, this guy is amazing. To be able to step in the ring with him, it’s kind of a dream come true for me. Not because I have watched him for so many years, but he is such a great guy and I never had the opportunity to have that match with him. I would have loved to wrestle Eddie Guerrero, but obviously that can’t happen. I think Rey Mysterio is definitely a big one for me.

Ring Rust Radio: What are your impressions of Lucha Underground and is that something that you may be interested in working for?

AJ Styles: Again, where ever the business takes me that is where I will go. Lucha Underground does great and crazy stuff over there, and it’s a little bit of what we talked about with doing something different. Wherever the business takes me, that’s where I am going to go.

Wrestle Kingdom 9 Guide: An Intro to New Japan's Biggest Show of the Year

With Global Force Wrestling presenting New Japan Pro Wrestling’s “Wrestle Kingdom 9” in America live on InDemand Pay-Per-View, it will give American fans a chance who have heard about Bullet Club, Hiroshi Tanahashi or Kazuchika Okada to see them first-hand at New Japan’s biggest show of the year.

  I don’t follow New Japan as closely as some do, but after watching a majority of the 2014 G1 Climax tournament, I became a big fan of the product and of many of the wrestlers themselves. But whether you follow New Japan or not, Wrestle Kingdom 9 will be a great show to watch as it’s the company’s biggest show of the year and all the main titles will be defended. Also, legendary pro wrestling commentator Jim Ross will be calling the show along with Matt Striker for the English broadcast of WK9.

  There are a few distinct differences between New Japan Pro Wrestling and WWE that new fans will want to be aware of going in.

January 4 Dome Show

  It wasn’t always called Wrestle Kingdom, but the January 4 Tokyo Dome Show has been a tradition for New Japan Pro Wrestling since the early 90s. This is the Japanese version of Wrestlemania and is available in America live for the first time ever this year thanks to Global Force Wrestling.

Factions/stables

  Almost everyone in New Japan are part of some faction. Though, unlike American promotions, these faction affiliations aren’t very prominent. You’ll hardly ever see members of CHAOS or Great Bash Heel interfere in matches or accompany other members to the ring for matches.

  In New Japan, the overriding desire to display good sportsmanship means even heels and heel factions don’t generally interfere in each other’s matches. However, Bullet Club eschews those traditions and functions much more like an American pro wrestling stable, which is a big reason why they’ve made such an impact in New Japan. Bullet Club is an all gaijin stable (with the exception of Yujiro Takahashi) and gaijin basically means someone who isn’t from Japan.

  The most important factions to keep an eye on in at Wrestle Kingdom 9 are CHAOS, Bullet Club, and Suzukigun.

  The Global Force Wrestling website has a great write up with even more detail about the factions of NJPW here.

Tag teams

  As WWE seems to be moving away from giving tag teams a prominent role on their show, tag team wrestling is still a very important part of New Japan. The company features two different tag team tournaments each year and several different tag team titles are defended regularly in New Japan, such as the IWGP heavyweight tag team titles, IWGP junior heavyweight tag team titles and NWA tag team titles.

  New Japan stars also regularly team up to form new and interesting tag teams outside of established teams like Killer Elite Squad, The Time Splitters or The Young Bucks. For instance, the team of Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto won the recent World Tag League tournament, after feuding for much of 2013.

  New Japan also utilizes the larger tag formats (like 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 man matches) more often than WWE. I remember listening to an interview with Chikara’s Mike Quackenbush who related larger tag team matches to painting a picture with different colors and why use only two or four colors when you can use more.

  Global Force Wrestling also did a nice write up of tag team wrestling in New Japan and you can read that here.

The Wrestle Kingdom 9 card

reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) (c) versus The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) versus The Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA) versus The Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships

-reDRagon defeated The Time Splitters for the IWGP Jr tag belts at Power Struggle on Nov. 8 and recently defeated them to retain the ROH tag titles at Final Battle on Dec. 7. But with the Bucks and Forever Hooligans involved, it will be tough for reDRagon to retain. I wouldn’t be surprised to see The Time Splitters regain the belts here, though it’s entirely possible for any of these teams to win the titles.

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Jeff Jarrett and Yujiro Takahashi) versus Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma

-Tencozy (sometimes written as TenKoji) along with tenacious underdog Tomoaki Honma will take on the gaijin stable Bullet Club at WK9. Tencozy are multiple time NWA Tag Team champions and though Honma hasn’t won much in New Japan, his hard-working style and tenacity has endeared him to the fans (he didn’t pick up a single win in the most G1 Climax tournament as a late replacement for Kota Ibushi). Bullet Club is still going strong but haven’t been the dominant force in NJPW they once were. A loss here could really affect their status, despite GFW founder Jeff Jarrett now being attached to Bullet Club.

Mikey Nicholls, Naomichi Marufuji, Shane Haste and Toru Yano versus Suzukigun (Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer, Shelton X Benjamin and Takashi Iizuka)

-Suzukigun takes on a makeshift team featuring CHAOS member Toru Yano and three Pro Wrestling NOAH wrestlers Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste and the current GHC Heavyweight champion Naomichi Marufuji.  Haste and Nicholls are and Australian tag team (TDMK, The Mighty Don’t Kneel) trained by Marufuji and will help Yano as he takes on Suzukigun and former tag team partner, Takashi Iizuka.

Minoru Suzuki versus Kazushi Sakuraba

-This match between two heavy-handed strikers who are also well-versed in submissions will be a knockout or submission only match. Sakuraba teamed with Yano in the recent World Tag League tournament and as he’s facing the leader of Suzukigun, this match is almost an extension of the previous 8-man tag. Suzuki is a no-nonsense badass but Sakuraba is a world-renown MMA fighter, having spent time in the early days of UFC and in Pride Fighting Championships. The rivalry began when Sakuraba came to the aid of Yano after Iizuka turned on him. Both Suzuki and Sakuraba have extensive training in legitimate combat sports and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one looked more like an MMA fight than a pro wrestling match.

Tomohiro Ishii (c) versus Togi Makabe

NEVER Openweight Championship

-Ishii regained the NEVER title from Yujiro Takahashi at the King of Pro-Wrestling event on Oct. 13. I don’t think this match is based on a feud or rivalry but it should be hard-hitting none-the-less. Both Ishii and Makabe are bruisers and will beat the hell out of each other. There have only been 5 NEVER champs and Ishii is the first two-time champ so I don’t see him losing it so soon after regaining it. Aside from Suzuki/Sakuraba, this will most likely be one of the stiffest matches of the night.

(I also looked into the NEVER belt a little bit. NJPW originally created it to be the championship for a new promotion which highlighted younger competitors and outside talent and have it defended exclusively on NEVER shows, but that didn’t really pan out. Now the belt is basically an undercard title for NJPW and has been won exclusively by established guys [Masato Tanaka won a tournament, defeating Karl Anderson to win it, followed by Tetsuya Naito, Ishii, Takahashi and finally Ishii again]).

Ryusuke Taguchi (c) versus Kenny Omega

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

-Taguchi defeated KUSHIDA for the Junior title at Destruction in Kobe on Sept. 21 and subsequently defended it against El Desperado despite constant interference from Desperado’s stablemates in Suzukigun. Kenny Omega recently joined NJPW full-time after several years in DDT. Though in the press conference announcing his jump to New Japan he said he wouldn’t join Bullet Club, he debuted at Power Struggle on Nov. 8 as a member of the gaijin stable, saying he lied at the press conference and he only cares about the money and the Junior title. A funny note about Omega is although he’s fluent in Japanese, he has only been cutting promos in English as a member of the Bullet Club.

Bullet Club (Doc Gallows and Karl “Machine Gun” Anderson) (c) versus Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata

IWGP Tag Team Championship

- Gallows and Machine Gun have held the IWGP tag belts consistently throughout the year after winning them at Wrestle Kingdom 8. They’ll take on Goto and Shibata who are on a hot streak right now after winning the World Tag League tournament. Goto and Shibata actually went to the same high school and have been battling ever since but since ending their feud at Wrestle Kingdom 8 (which Goto won), they formed a tag team with their sights set on Gallows and Machine Gun. They’ve defeated the champs in non-title matches but haven’t been able to unseat them for the gold. Though Shibata was also on a quest to win singles gold this year in the form of the IWGP Heavyweight or Intercontinental titles, Goto and Shibata defeated Gallows and Machine Gun in the finals of the 2014 World Tag League to set up this match. Bullet Club won the belts at the last Wrestle Kingdom – will they leave WK this year with them?

A.J. Styles versus Tetsuya Naito

-2014 was a banner year for Styles. In his first match in New Japan, he defeated Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight title and aligned himself with the Bullet Club. But at King of Pro-Wrestling on Oct. 13, Styles lost the title to Hiroshi Tanahashi. Naito beat Styles in the 2014 G1 Climax, which Styles insisted was a fluke, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted this match to prove that fact. But if Naito gets a win over the former IWGP Heavyweight champion, that would have to put him in the running for a title shot in 2015.

Shinsuke Nakamura (c) versus Kota Ibushi

IWGP Intercontinental Championship

-If you only watch WWE, you might think the New Japan Intercontinental title also doesn’t mean a whole lot. And you would be wrong. Nakamura has done an exceptional job of making the title feel important and many hold it in as high a regard as the Heavyweight title. Nakamura is a four-time champion, the only person to hold the belt more than once, and defeated Bad Luck Fale to regain it at Destruction in Kobe on Sept. 21. After defending the title against Shibata at Power Struggle on Nov. 8, Ibushi attacked him, setting up this match. The returning Ibushi was formerly in the Junior Heavyweight title picture but on his return looks to get into IC and Heavyweight contention. (Fun fact: MVP, former WWE and current TNA star, was the first NJPW IC champ, defeating Toru Yano in the finals of an 8-man tournament at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia).

Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) versus Kazuchika Okada

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

-Tanahashi versus Okada is perhaps the biggest rivalry in New Japan right now. Think Flair/Steamboat, Misawa/Kobashi, Hart/Michaels, Triple H/Rock and you’ll start to get a picture of this feud. And that isn’t just lofty praise – it’s been backed up in the ring with some of the best matches of the past decade. These two met several times throughout 2012-2013 in singles matches and produced not one but two 5-star matches in that time. Okada won the recent G1 Climax tournament, guaranteeing him a spot in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 9 against the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. At the time, that man was A.J. Styles – but Styles ended up losing the title to Tanahashi at King of Pro-Wrestling on Oct. 13. Tanahashi is the most prestigious IWGP Heavyweight champion, in his seventh reign, with the most title defenses and most combined days as the champion. But Okada is determined to take his place as the new ace of New Japan. The rivalry will be renewed at Wrestle Kingdom 9 and with a global audience watching, you can bet that Tanahashi and Okada will go all out to deliver a spectacular match.