AJ Styles WWE Entrance Theme Was Actually Meant For Another Star
Which fellow former TNA wrestler didn't want none of AJ's "Phenomenal" theme?
AJ Styles' unmistakable CFO$-produced "Phenomenal" WWE theme was actually originally designed for none other than James Storm.
Easily ranking as one of the last genuinely outstanding in-house WWE musical creations, and technically prolific WWE Superstar theme producers CFO$'s most streamed piece of entrance music on Spotify on the back of their time working with the company from 2012 to 2020, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Styles strutting out to the banger.
But as revealed by Styles himself recently (via WrestlingInc), "It wasn't made for (him)..."
Going further when discussing the subject of who was originally set to make their way to the ring to the sound of this "Phenomenal" tune, Styles would add:
"It was made for [James Storm]. And then I kind of explained what I'd like to [hear for my theme song], and it was that song that they presented."
Though he would eventually rock up on NXT in 2015 before deciding against signing with WWE, Storm is known by most for his work under the TNA/Impact banner, winning the promotion's tag straps on seven occasions and even lifting the Impact World Championship at one point, too.
When discussing Storm's decision to instead go with the theme of "Game Up" by It's a Date Inc over "Phenomenal" upon making his surprise 2015 black and gold appearance, Road Dogg (otherwise known as Brian G. James) would admit on an episode of Table for 3:
"That was originally written and developed for James Storm. And James passed [on the theme song] and he went a different direction, and AJ stepped in and it just worked out perfectly."
And the rest was "Phenomenal" history...