10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (April 15)

1. AJ Styles Would Have Changed His Name For WWE

AJ Styles
WWE.com

As soon as the word 'Phenomenal' flashed up on the big screen at the Royal Rumble in January, fans in attendance knew who was about to step through the curtain. There had been rumours about a possible appearance in the annual 30-man match for AJ Styles, and they proved to be correct.

Incredibly, AJ's act has been kept intact since he signed on the dotted line with the promotion. That's a departure from usual habits, as most incoming talent are forced to forfeit their established name for copyright reasons. That wasn't the case for Samoa Joe, but some believed it may just happen to AJ Styles.

It didn't, and he is very much the same performer that he was in New Japan Pro Wrestling and TNA. Whilst talking to the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, Styles said that he would have had no problems with changing his name if it facilitated a WWE run.

That's an eye-opening admission, showing just how much AJ wanted to be part of the WWE system. He's been AJ Styles since the turn of the millennium, so it would have been strange to see him perform under a different name. 

What other big wrestling facts did you learn this week? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.