AJ Styles had completed a highly successful run in TNA, the next move for the Georgian was highly anticipated. March 2014, it was announced that Styles it was reported that he would return NJPW and had signed a contract with the company. Styles return came in April at Invasion Attack where he attacked the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada after his match he laid him out with the Styles Clash and challenged Okada to a title match, before revealing himself as the newest member of Bullet Club.
Originally Styles was only booked to wrestle at New Japan’s big events whilst he worked full time on the American Indy circuit, Styles was seen as the leader of the ROH branch of Bullet Club. In May, at Wrestling Dontaku, he successfully defeated Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship with help from fellow Bullet Club member Yujiro Takahashi. Styles held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship until October where he was beaten for it by Hiroshi Tanahashi after a returning Yoshitatsu stopped newest Bullet Club member Jeff Jarrett from interfering.
At Power Struggle (November 8th), Styles had a match against Yoshitatsu with help from Jeff Jarrett, during the match, Styles legitimately broke Yoshitatsu’s neck with a botched Styles Clash. Capitalising on this New Japan pushed Styles as “killer” with the Clash becoming a controversial move. Fast forward to January 2015, Styles reentered himself back into the IWGP Heavyweight Championship picture by pinning Tanahashi in a eight man tag team match, this set up a title match between the pair at New Beginnings the following month. Once more, Styles won and regained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, he lost the Championship to Okada that July.
Styles set his sights on the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and sought to challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the Championship. Unfortunately, due to an back injury Styles had to pull out of the 2015 Tag Team Leauge. Returning at the Tokyo Dome in 2016, he was unsuccessful in capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The following night after tag teaming with fellow Bullet Club member – Kenny Omega. After pinning Shinsuke Nakamura, Omega turned on AJ Styles and began attacking him, the rest of Bullet Club came out and originally tried to stop Omega, but then began attacking Styles to. Omega declared himself the new leader of Bullet Club, Styles was out of New Japan and was heading towards WWE.
AJ Styles made his long awaited debut in WWE at the Royal Rumble in 2016, unfortunately the camera wasn’t on him as he entered, but the crowd reaction was enough, Styles was where he belonged. After the Rumble, he entered into a feud with WWE legend Chris Jericho, after defeating Jericho Fastlane, the two then teamed together as Y2AJ. The team of Y2AJ didn’t last for very long, and after an unsuccessful tag team championship attempt, Jericho attacked Styles, they both then began interfering with each others matches. Styles challenged Jericho to a match at WrestleMania which Jericho accepted and then won.
After WrestleMania, Styles became the number one contender for the WWE Championship, in a fatal four-way after pinning Jericho. At Payback, Styles was eventually defeated Reigns even though Styles originally won by DQ and then by countout. Styles former Bullet Club stablemates Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows interfered during the match, a rematch was set for Extreme Rules where this time The Usos interfered to help Reigns. After Extreme Rules, Styles welcomed back John Cena, and then proceeded to attack him after being mocked by Gallows and Anderson about the moment, Gallows and Anderson joined in the beat down. A match was made for Money In The Bank between them and it was dubbed a dream match. Styles won with a little help from Gallows and Anderson.
During the brand split, Styles went to SmackDown, he and Cena had another match at SummerSlam where he won again, and afterwards he became the self proclaimed Face That Runs The Place. Styles then turned his attention back towards the WWE Championship, he defeated Dean Ambrose for it via a low blow, this became Styles’ 8th World Championship overall. Styles successfully defended the Championship against Ambrose and then Cena and Ambrose in a fatal three-way. Over a period of time, Styles lost a few matches to rookie James Ellsworth including a championship match that even though Ellsworth won via DQ, Styles retained. Styles had one final Championship match against Ellsworth in which he defeated him quickly ending their odd little feud.
Royal Rumble 2017, Styles faced John Cena this time for the WWE Championship, in what fans proclaimed as the best match of the three, Cena ended Styles 140 day reign. Styles was put into the Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship with Bray Wyatt, Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose and champion John Cena, he was unsuccessful as the Championship went to Bray Wyatt. Styles was entered into a ten man battle royal to determine who would face Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania after Royal Rumble winner, Randy Orton, refused to go against fellow stablemate Bray Wyatt. Styles was the last two and was eliminate at the same time as Luke Harper, a match was set between them to decide who would go against Bray Wyatt, Styles won that match, however Orton betrayed Wyatt and demanded his title chance. A match occurred between Orton and Styles to determine the true number one contender, but Styles lost.
Styles attacked SmackDown’s commissioner Shane McMahon and was kayfabe fired for his actions, during that episode of SmackDown McMahon declared the two would be having a match at WrestleMania that undoubtedly Styles won. Styles then defeated Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin to become the number once contender for the United States Championship. After unsuccessfully defeating Kevin Owens for the Championship at Backlash, and then unsuccessfully winning the Money In The Back Ladder match, Styles defeated Owens for the United States Championship at Madison Square Gardens.
Styles lost the United States Championship back to Owens, but then regained it two days later after a Triple Threat match with a returning Chris Jericho. Styles beat Owens twice more, once at SummerSlam with Shane McMahon as special guest referee, and then again on SmackDown, this would be the end of Styles and Owen’s feud. Afterwards, Styles brought back Cena’s United States Championship Open Challenge successfully beating Tye Dillinger twice who at the time was feuding with Baron Corbin. The three entered the triple threat at Hell In A Cell in which Corbin defeated Styles. Once again, Styles’ attention was back on the WWE Championship, where he attacked then Champion Jinder Mahal, during this he also appeared on RAW’s TLC against Finn Bálor as a replacement for Bray Wyatt. Styles lost, but the match ended with the two former Bullet Club leaders “Two Sweeting” each other.
After TLC, Styles was back on RAW and this time teamed with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins to take on The Miz, Sheamus and Cesaro. Styles then reappeared later on with members of SmackDown to attack RAW as part of the siege set for Survivor Series. WWE flew overseas, SmackDown was set for Manchester England, originally a match was scheduled for Styles to face Rusev to determine who would be in Team SmackDown for Survivor Series. That match was changed. Styles would face Mahal for the WWE Championship, a match that Styles won, it was the first WWE Championship win to happen on SmackDown since 03, and the first title win outside North America.
Styles took Mahal’s place, against Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, in which he lost. Styles then defeated Mahal via submission a Clash of Champions, signifying the end of their feud.
AJ Styles’ career has been magnificent and he still has so much more left in him, from figuring out who will be his next competitors for the WWE Championship to the long awaited WWE bout of Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles. His almost 20 year career is just awe inspiring, and there really will never be another quite like AJ Styles. He truly is Phenomenal.
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