10 Images Showcasing Precise Moments Wrestlers Got Over
7. It Really Was That Simple, Part 2
For years prior to AJ Styles' WWE arrival, WWE refused to debut incoming talent under their real names. Even the leading lights of the independent scene were forced to undergo name (and often identity) changes as part of WWE's trademark frenzy, which had the added bonus of remoulding these acts in their image.
Samoa Joe broke the doors down months earlier, but his name value was largely lent to grow the NXT brand he had joined. AJ Styles was something else entirely; he debuted as is on the main stage proper at Royal Rumble 2016. He was never meant to fit into WWE. He was slight, southern and spotty - antithetical to the established headliner norm. He was always very, very good. In New Japan, he truly became the Phenomenal One he marketed himself as, entering classic after classic with the holy NJPW trinity of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura. WWE came calling in January '16 because, simply, he was among the absolute best in an all-time great era for in-ring work.
Essentially, Styles got over immediately because he was presented as something authentic. The reaction he commanded in Orlando was immense. It signalled both his arrival and the dawn of a new era in WWE.
The world had shrank, allowing Styles, who lived up to his rep in a searing half hour performance, to conquer it.