AJ Styles made a major name for himself, working for top promotions like NJPW, ROH, and IMPACT Wrestling. However, unlike other independent stars like Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe, Styles wasn’t approached by WWE.
Speaking to BT Sport, The Phenomenal One said while trying to join WWE, he never heard back before 2016. He assumed the company had all the talent they needed at the time:
AJ Styles never worked under Triple H in NXT
AJ Styles made his WWE debut when NXT was at its peak. While most stars from other promotions had a stint in NXT before joining the main roster, Styles was an exception.
He made his debut directly on the main roster, going on to main-event WrestleMania, and winning the WWE Championship twice. He was also The Undertaker’s final opponent. Styles is one of the few superstars from the ‘outside’ who has retained his position as one of the top stars in WWE.
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