10 Reasons AJ Styles Is The Best WWE Signing Of The Decade
6. What's In A Name?
'Stylish Allen' and 'Phenomenal' Allen Jones were jokingly posited as potential WWE names when the prospect of the TNA icon's arrival looked increasingly more likely, kept only so loyal to his actual moniker thanks to the enormous torso tattoo he had designed in 2010.
The wrestling industry was so different back then that most felt it was a glum and/or defiant acceptance of the likelihood of him ever working for Vince McMahon. The ink in actuality signifies the initials and birthdates of his four children, but the added commitment to the character he'd crafted was acutely apparent.
Samoa Joe's unique experimental part-time contract with NXT in 2015 saw the 'Samoan Submission Machine' convince the company of his name's value when their online shop sold out of t-shirts adorned with his epithets in record time. AJ, his 'P1' branding and even the 'Phenomenal' nickname were long established components of his past life that travelled with him to WWE and have managed to make both the man and the company richer for the compromise.
It's not been an exact science since, but more arrivals since appeared with their best weapons strengthened rather than stolen.