17 Things We Learned From AJ Styles On Stone Cold's WWE Network Podcast
4. Signing With New Japan
Talk now turns to AJ's decision to ply his trade in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and he remarks how rare it was for someone to debut at the top of the card in the manner that he did.
He was coming in just as Finn Balor - Prince Devitt at the time - was leaving for NXT, and his first night was the show when Balor was giving his emotional farewell speech to the boys in the locker room.
In AJ's first match in NJPW he defeated Okada for the IWGP title. Austin then talks about the difference between working in front of American and Japanese crowds, mentioning how silent the Japanese fans can be.
AJ says he'd wrestled there before so he knew what to expect in regards to the audience, but what he didn't expect was how good guys like Tanahashi and Okada were.
He recalls a time he had Tanahashi in the Calf Crusher and seeing fans in the front rows crying because they were afraid the Japanese icon was going to tap out.