10 Name-Drops You Never Thought WWE Would Allow (But They Somehow Did)
7. AJ Styles Reminds Us Where He Came From
Speaking of AJ Styles' past exploits outside of WWE...
The 'Phenomenal One' himself chose to do all of that talking on his episode of the Stone Cold Podcast on the WWE Network in 2016 and didn't tiptoe around exactly which rival companies he'd lent his name to during his near 20-year career as a pro wrestler.
Coming again at a time when WWE weren't exactly known for shedding light on anything to do with wrestling outside of the likes of their own company and the long gone WCW, it shocked many fans to hear Steve Austin get away with having Styles wax lyrically about his past as one of the greatest wrestling stars on the planet.
Dropping every name from TNA to Jeff Jarrett to NJPW, Styles didn't hold back when describing how he made a name for himself as one of Impact's first real signings - before betting on himself in the likes Of Ring of Honor and New Japan.
It felt refreshing to see a star being so candid about their history and not having to pretend that their career started as soon as they stepped inside a WWE ring.
This unbelievable moment of honesty really set a precedent in the company, as more stars were allowed to address their illustrious careers away from the promotion post-Styles' podcast and in doing so this helped add some more credibility to their characters inside of Vince McMahon's empire.