AJ Styles Reveals WWE ALMOST Changed His Ring Name
Imagine the WWE Champion competing as ANYTHING else...
The idea might seem absurd, but WWE came within a hair of changing AJ Styles' ring name after 'The Phenomenal One' had signed with the company in January 2016.
According to the WWE Champion himself in an August interview with ESPN, Triple H pitched the idea during an early meeting between the two, but ultimately abandoned the idea for one big reason: the former TNA Champion's ink.
Styles claims that during the conversation, 'The Game' told him "I don't know if we'll be able to keep your name." His response? "That's fine, I'll be any name you want me to be called, except I do have this huge AJ tattoo on my side so that might be a problem."
Born Allen Neal Jones, 'The Phenomenal One' has previously competed as Air Styles and Mr. Olympia in the past, but not for well over a decade. His name recognition makes it odd that WWE even pitched the idea in the first place. AJ was already a big star prior to joining the company, and was coming off a hot NJPW run, so "owning" his new moniker was likely WWE's motivator.
Still, at least common sense prevailed.