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Batista is insane (involving AJ Styles)

AnubisPosted on 04/23/06 at 06:30:08

I just read over at Lords of Pain that Batista said recently that "what AJ Styles does in the ring isn't pro wrestling".  Say what?  AJ Styles is ten times the worker Batista is!

I love the response from Styles, though, as he said something like "A guy who gets injured affter taking one bump is saying I don't know what I'm doing?"

Hilarious.  Batista needs to get real.
HugeRockStar760Posted on 04/23/06 at 07:49:46

Batista is correct. There's more to wrestling than flying all over the ring. I put ring psychology ahead of actual ability. Why? I can't take AJ Styles seriously when he can't even sell a move correctly where he lands hard on the mat after missing a high impact move.

As far as big guys are concerned, Batista is one of the best. And he has something AJ has in short supply and that is charisma. As TNA gets bigger and bigger, I have no doubt that AJ's role in the company will get smaller and smaller.
Captain TagonPosted on 04/23/06 at 08:02:15

Dude. Have you ever even seen an AJ Styles match? He's got psychology down pat. Go watch some old RoH Styles/Danielson matches.
HugeRockStar760Posted on 04/23/06 at 08:18:30

On 04/23/06 at 08:02:15, Captain Tagon wrote:Dude. Have you ever even seen an AJ Styles match? He's got psychology down pat. Go watch some old RoH Styles/Danielson matches.
I'm going off the TNA X-Division wrestling of his. I don't buy AJ Styles as a credible wrestler. He's a great high flyer, sure. But he's not a grappler, and I can't buy AJ Styles as a credible World Champion anymore than I can buy Mysterio as one either.

Just my opinion. And like I said, charisma plays a big part in a wrestling company unless you're a Ring of Honor type of promotion. Just look at TNA. The more big names TNA brings in, the more AJ Styles is being phased out.

Although, I don't think Batista should be criticizing another fellow wrestler. Everyone has their own style, and I think Batista was referring more to the psychology of how AJ Styles wrestles in his matches. It's something I've noticed in X-Division matches that there is a lack of true ring psychology.
Captain TagonPosted on 04/23/06 at 08:34:35

Styles actually is amazing on the mat. And really, outside of wrestling X-Division matches, he actually doesn't fly a whole heck of a lot.
Snabbit888Posted on 04/23/06 at 10:16:31

The problem I have with AJ Styles, and a lot of that type of wrestler, is that when they're wrestling, even when he is mat wrestling, it seems like it's just killing time before a high spot.  It's done well, but it doesn't seem to have purpose other than "I know I'm not supposed to just hit big moves all the time, so here is some mat work."  I doubt it's quite that simplistic, but that's the general vibe I get.
UnrightPosted on 04/23/06 at 18:04:26

I think TNA puts pressure on Styles to work more of a spotty high flyer style, mostly so they can pad their highlight reels.

I agree with Cap. Tagon, Styles knows psychology. He just may not always employ it.
AnubisPosted on 04/23/06 at 21:33:20

Yeha, good grief, AJ Styles has a much better grasp of psychology than Batista does, and is more entertaining in the ring on top of that.

As for charisma, what?  How does Styles not have charisma?  His mic work may be shady, but he has tons of charisma.
HugeRockStar760Posted on 04/23/06 at 22:28:18

On 04/23/06 at 21:33:20, Anubis wrote:Yeha, good grief, AJ Styles has a much better grasp of psychology than Batista does, and is more entertaining in the ring on top of that.

As for charisma, what? How does Styles not have charisma? His mic work may be shady, but he has tons of charisma.
Ok, look at it this way. Batista can merely walk out and not say a word, and he already has the crowd's attention. With AJ Styles, that isn't the case. The mic skills are nonexistant. Batista, while no Rock on the mic, can talk and he carries himself well as a champion.

I don't know what you're basing this AJ Styles charisma thing off of.

I guess it's just a preference of Batista over AJ Styles to me. It's all subjective anyways, and I think they're both more enjoyable than a lot of wrestlers. I'm just saying Batista wasn't being a jerk when he made those comments about AJ Styles.
AnubisPosted on 04/24/06 at 01:26:22

On 04/23/06 at 22:28:18, HugeRockStar760 wrote:Ok, look at it this way. Batista can merely walk out and not say a word, and he already has the crowd's attention. With AJ Styles, that isn't the case.
Since when?  AJ Styles gets some of the biggest reactions in TNA when it comes to "just showing up".

On 04/23/06 at 22:28:18, HugeRockStar760 wrote:The mic skills are nonexistant. Batista, while no Rock on the mic, can talk and he carries himself well as a champion.
Since when did Styles start to suck so badly on the mic?  He may not be that good at it, but he is at least average on the mic.  As for carrying well as a champion, AJ Styles has everything; the only thing Batista has over him is size, nothing more.  Styles has him beat in all aspects in in-ring work, easily.

On 04/23/06 at 22:28:18, HugeRockStar760 wrote:I don't know what you're basing this AJ Styles charisma thing off of.
I could say the same in reverse to you.

On 04/23/06 at 22:28:18, HugeRockStar760 wrote:I guess it's just a preference of Batista over AJ Styles to me. It's all subjective anyways, and I think they're both more enjoyable than a lot of wrestlers. I'm just saying Batista wasn't being a jerk when he made those comments about AJ Styles.
I'll agree that both of them are good workers, I just believe Styles is better.  Batista's comments were ignorant and way out of line, like he was tooting his own horn just for the hell of it while trying to make someone else look bad (making himself look dumb in the process in the eyes of people who watch the indies).
Rick GarrardPosted on 04/24/06 at 01:57:12

Batista was carried to great heights by Ric Flair and Triple H... Styles got carried to his high point by Jerry Lynn, who is retired because he was a high spot machine in his own right that ended his career prematurely.  And before anyone says "but Lynn also had match psychology", yes Lynn did have match psychology, but match psychology isn't the only thing to base an entire career around.  If that were the case, Dean Malenko would have held the WWE World Title 9 times by now, because he was way better in the match psychology department than just about anyone other than Flair in WWE.

A well-rounded wrestler will always get less over than a guy that is a one-dimensional flashy guy because that is what the promoters of the larger promotions tend to throw at the fans.  Plus a one-dimensional wrestler usually sucks at selling moves, thusly the better wrestlers sell better, which causes them to have to be the ones that put over the worse in-ring performers.
HugeRockStar760Posted on 04/24/06 at 02:26:44

Anubis, there's a big difference between AJ Styles being over in a tv studio in Orlando and getting the same reaction in front of tens of thousands of people like Batista receives.

AJ seems like a great guy. Hopefully, he can keep improving. And I hope TNA always keeps improving too.
Snabbit888Posted on 04/24/06 at 03:11:31

HRS stole the words right out of my mouth.  Note that for my following comments, I am a Styles mark, but AJ is an indy stud at this point.  The internet and Orlando likes him.  He isn't on a Batista level.  Charisma and mic work wise, Styles is lacking.  He makes up for it with being able to do some amazing things in the ring than Batista could only ever dream of.  Give me Batista any day.  He's charismatic, for a big guy he can work, he can be made to look great and doesn't embarrass himself when he's not wrestling someone that can carry him, and in the eyes of regular fans, Batista's size makes him tons more credible (don't have to agree with the concept, but hard to argue the reality).
AnubisPosted on 04/24/06 at 05:11:31

I mostly agree with you Snabbit, although I would also add that AJ Styles doesn't have the same level of exposure that Batista has, so measuring the crowd reactions they get as such is faulty.

Thing is, this started when Batista claimed that what Styles did wasn't real pro wrestling and basically took potshots at his in-ring ability.  As such, only the in-ring ability should be a factor in the discussion here.  Regardless of crowd reactions, Styles is the better worker and has far more in-ring ability.  That is what makes Batista's comments ignorant.  Sure, Batista is way more over, I'm not arguing that, but Batista claimed he was also the better wrestler, and that's just plain nonsense.
Snabbit888Posted on 04/24/06 at 05:41:36

I think what is happening is that the term "wrestler"is vague.  I think that Batista is a better wrestler.  My definition of wrestler in the sense of pro-wrestling isn't exclusive to in-the-ring-ability exclusively.  For me, it's the whole package.  For in-ring, yes, Styles can do more and can do it more cleanly if he wanted to.  However, I think Batista is far more the total package for a wrestler.  Is he perfect?  Not a chance.  But I think he has more of the tools to being all-around great than Styles does.  Styles is much younger and thus has ton of time to get better and better, but my opinion now is than overall, Batista is better all-around.
rey619Posted on 04/24/06 at 12:47:55

I think that Anubis' main point was the arrogance Batista displayed when he touted his style of wrestling as better than AJ's style. Wrestling is all about preference. Someone likes the high-flying og the x-division, someone digs the deathmatches, some enjoy technical mat-based wrestling, while still some enjoy the entertainment aspect of big hosses pounding away on each other.

It's all wrestling.

And of course Batista gets more pops than AJ Styles, he is in the friggin' WWE. The point is both gets the most pops compared to their respective promotions. Styles is without a doubt the most popular worker in TNA, while Batista is one of the most popular in WWE. If Styles had been in WWE as long as Batista and had the same exposure and push.. then it's comparable.
Rick GarrardPosted on 04/25/06 at 01:53:19

If you go back and watch AJ Styles from the early days of TNA (back with the 4 sided ring and weekly PPV's from the Asylum in Nashville) and then watch today's TNA on SpikeTV, you will see a guy that hasn't aged very gracefully.  AJ looked like he was about 18 at the debut of TNA and now he looks about to be in his late thirties.  It's phenomenal how his style of work can shorten one's career.  Whatever happened of wrestling opponents protecting each other in the ring?
AnubisPosted on 04/26/06 at 04:44:38

rey619 has it right.  Batista just sounded really arrogant.  Heck, he didn't even say "I think my style is more entertaining", he said flat out "what he does isn't pro wrestling".  He tried to bury Styles and made himself look like a douchebag in the process.

I don't think AJ Styles has gotten any worse.  He's worker slower because he's gotten better.  The guy still moves just as well as any other young guys, but he wrestles a different style now.  He has the whole package these days, so to speak.  That and he's probably trying to protect his career as well so he doesn't end up like Sabu.  The guy's performances are still spectacular, except his style has matured.

It seems to me that he just went from being a high-flyer to an all-rounder, that's all.
PulsarPosted on 04/26/06 at 06:51:41

And in all fairness, it seems more and more that AJ is leaving the X-division, which will, in turn, slow down your game. I do feel though that AJ Styles if AWFUL on the mic. I'm sorry but I agree to the fact that he should just shut up and wrestle. Not that it's all bad when he talks, but his backstage vignettes and mic time just hurt him more then help him

As far as AJ goes, in my eyes, he's been a stud for a long time. I've been watching him since the old Wildside days, and have watched him mature and grow. You want to be insanely impressed, watch him go from Wildside, to WCW, to Early TNA, to now. It's more or less amazing, and I do feel he has grown in leaps and bounds. I think if his style continues in his direction, he could be the next Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels. A world champion who's credible, and actually has the respect of both Smarks and Marks alike.
RavynPosted on 04/29/06 at 10:14:26

Personally, I like AJ.  I really do.  Whilst I made also think Batista had a point.  I have two sayings that may help summarise:

A carpenter will see the world as a nail.  Someone like Batista will see what he does as wrestling and everything else as slightly (or greatly) inferior.  Same to be said for AJ.

And secondly,

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Don't belabour the point as to whether AJ or Batista is right.  Just enjoy them individually.  

R