The Wrestler's Arsenal #2: The Dropkick

Hey there readers! Spurred on by the positive reception of the first of this series, its another addition to 'The Wrestler's Arsenal'; the dropkick. If you thought the last one was crammed with gifs, get a load of this!

The dropkick is a move you are sure to see and good handful of times on a show, and to varying levels of success and beauty. Last time we looked at the lariat, and the visual appeal of that is very different to the dropkick. The lariat is a much more visceral action, and whilst dropkicks can be just as brutal to witness, the athleticism needed to pull one off adds a layer of poetic spectacle to it. Don't get me wrong, there's a fair few downright ugly dropkicks out in the world, but seeing someone leave their feet always has an air of excitement to it.

Following on from the point of the setup of the move, this also allows for a whole lot of variation and innovation. Again using the comparison to the lariat, that move essentially requires you to be on the same level, but with the dropkick, you can be on an entirely different plane of existence and still connect with the bastard.

Personally, my favourite dropkicks are always emphasised with height; a point made even cooler by the fact it gains the term 'missile' as a descriptor. 

Neville's are especially beautiful - the hang time is just graceful and the slight popping of the kick right before connection makes the impact shine and the move on a whole look much more effective. Springboards in general really add a lot to the dropkick. I cannot fathom how difficult it is to get the balance to steady yourself on the ropes, let alone pulling off a dropkick from it.

With that in mind, seeing what Gran Metalik can do to prime himself for one is insane. 

'King of the Ropes' is a well earned moniker. 

So, those are the flashier examples of what a dropkick can be, having both a pageantry to them, as well as being used as efficient and effective weapons of squared circle warfare. Changing pace a bit though, there lies within the essence of the dropkick the ability to be used for pure destruction. 

That's Conquest, War, Famine and Death all in one. With this, the devastation for me comes from both the connection of the kick and the victim being pinned down. In that one above, Honma is stuck between a rock and a hard pair of feet flying at his fucking face, not a lot of give there I don't think. As horrific as that is, probably a more vicious variety of dropkick comes when the victim is sent flying into something. 

You don't have to look too much further than the audience in that clip to see the sort of reaction that generates. It must really fucking suck to be hit with that; not only does Balor properly knock him back, that connection of the head and turnbuckle is not a pretty sight. They don't come much nastier than that.

Looking across the modern world of wrestling, as well as the above examples, there are some performers out there with some stellar dropkicks, and few get me more hyped than Braun Strowman's;

Those fan-dangled dropkicks ain't just for cruiserweights, brother. Even with a silent gif I can vividly hear Braun screaming at Mark with every loop.

Making it 2-for-2 in the shoutouts for this series, Kazuchika Okada also lays claim to one of wrestling's best dropkicks, mixing height and connection to create a jaw-jacking manoeuvre to put down any bastard that just so happens to be hurtling towards him.

Gedo's little cheer at ringside is probably my favourite part of that gif.

Doing my research for this, I like to have a look at who Wikipedia cites as popularising and innovating the moves. Okada was up there for the standing dropkick, but there was another name alongside him, one that caught me off guard. I knew this guy was awesome, and I guess its probably down to limited viewing of his work, but goddamn looking it up made me see the truth.

Ladies and gentlemen, Hardcore Holly. 

However, with money riding on it and in spite of Okada's majesty, I would say that the best dropkick in wrestling today goes to 'The Phenomenal One', AJ Styles.

Everything about it is beautiful, but for me, its the leap and the landing that makes it. AJ's not the tallest of lads, and for him to get the verticality needed to nail his opponent in the face is, well...phenomenal. On top of that, the landing at the end is slick as anything, essentially making the move more of a dropsault variation.

In conclusion, the dropkick is a thing of beauty. Whether you're dropping out of the sky, barrelling down at a poor fucker sat in the corner or laying in wait for perfect interception, connecting with two feet is an ideal way to rock some heads. With a lot of strikes, there's a general feeling of 'I could do that', but a dropkick is something to aspire to. I can't tell you how many times I've jumped on my bed going for a dropkick, but I can assure you each time they've looked like pure shit. So with that in mind, the next time you see a dropkick in action, look beyond the common spot it's become, and appreciate the athleticism needed to perform such a feat.

Well that's gonna do it from me for this time folks. I hope you've enjoyed this part of The Wrestler's Arsenal, and if you've any requests on what should be covered next, please do let me know, and whenever that may be, I'll see you guys there!

BWOTYear: 2016, A Year in Review + The BWOTW Awards

Hello there readers, and welcome to this retrospective of the fucking strange year that was 2016. 

Now, this blog celebrates the best matches that grace our various screens of all sizes. But not only will we be looking at the best wrestling matches of 2016, for we shall also give recognition to those who excelled in other aspects of pro wrestling. Also, although the weekly format picks out the one best, in this special year review, we'll take a look at the best ten, as there have a been a load of awesome matches, and because it is very hard to decide.

And so, here it is....

The Best Matches of the Year

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura - WrestleKingdom 10

Dailymotion - Vimeo

A match here that took place a couple months before the start of this blog, but that doesn't really matter because this was class. Taking place at New Japan's biggest show of 2016, WrestleKingdom 10, AJ Styles challenged Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. 

At the time, AJ was dealing with a niggling back injury, but you could watch this and not even be able to tell anything was wrong with him. Everything was crisp, good as ever and he held nothing back. Plus, when you're going in there with Nakamura, at WrestleKingdom in the Tokyo Dome, you've gotta bring your all. These guys kicked the shit out of each other, painful looking spots, and it was all sewn together into an instant classic. 

The next night at New Year's Dash, AJ Styles would say farewell to New Japan, ready to venture to the new shores of WWE, and Nakamura was soon to follow. Speaking of which...

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn - TakeOver: Dallas

Dailymotion - Vimeo - WWE Network

Oh my fuck, what a match. I love it.

We're at WrestleMania weekend here, and this was the best damn match Texas witnessed. Nakamura's debut could not have gone better; a hell of a reaction, a hot crowd, and an amazing match with Sami Zayn.

This is probably the match with the best crowd division ever. 'Na-ka-mu-ra/Sa-mi-Zayn!' rung out for a good long time, followed later by the 'Fight Forever!' chant synonymous with this match. 

What boggles my mind to this day about this is that it is said these two hardly, if at all, discussed anything about this match. They never encountered each other beforehand... HOW!? This match looked like something done between two guys who have wrestled each other for years, or at least talked about thoroughly. The sequences in this one were so complex, so insane, it was like watching poetry. 

We had Nakamura's awesome entrance kicking us off, and then the match ended with an NXT farewell to Sami Zayn who then rocked in the ladder match the next night at WrestleMania 32. Both beautiful moments.

Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens - Battleground

Dailymotion - WWE Network

Hands down my favourite match between these two in WWE, possibly ever, we have Sami Zayn popping up on this list once more, taking on Kevin Owens.

This match was brutal, with some wrestling that looked nasty as shit. That brainbuster on the apron is probably the most horrific spot this whole goddamn year. Zayn fucked up a moonsault to the outside which proved more beneficial awry than it would have if it was successful, which is a testament to the knowledge these two have about storytelling in wrestling. 

This felt like a match fuelled by piss and vinegar, proper blood feud. Owens and Zayn are masters at conveying emotion in wrestling, Zayn was still awesome even under the Generico mask. It was so compelling. Perhaps at the time this feud didn't get the build it deserved, but I am hopeful somewhere down the line these guys will be the main event story.

Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa - Cruiserweight Classic Episode 4

Dailymotion - WWE Network

The final first round match of the Cruiserweight Classic saw the tag team partners of Tommaso 'Have-To-Check-The-Spelling-Of-That-Every-Goddamn-Time' Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. 

This match told probably the best story this year. All you needed to know was these guys are tag partners, the promo package beforehand and everything was self contained. You didn't need weeks of RAWs or the like to build this match up to tell a massive story. Just a brief video, the match and the aftermath gave us a lovely story. 'I hit to hurt, not to injure' from Ciampa was a great line and was acted out greatly in the ring.

This was stiff. They did not go lightly on each other, which only went towards making the entire tournament appear even more important. And this was the first round remember, up until now the majority of the bracket had been 'more well known guy vs lesser known guy' and it was kinda obvious would win. This one however, it was up in the air. Kept me guessing and firmly positioned on the edge of my seat.

Kota Ibushi vs Cedric Alexander - Cruiserweight Classic Episode 5

Dailymotion - WWE Network

Just one episode later in the Cruiserweight Classic and we got this barn burner. The match that arguably got Cedric Alexander signed to the WWE, his face off with Kota Ibushi was a fucking classic.

Alexander's balls to the wall approach to this match was a sight to behold in his challenging of the world-class talent that is Ibushi. The emotion was dripping off of him, and the reactions of the crowd fuelled the flames. It was also so valiant, and the shift from determination to desperation could be seen all over Cedric's face. Even in defeat, you had to admire the man, him and Ibushi put on a clinic, and those "Please-sign-Ced-ric" chants were well warranted.

The Revival vs #DIY - TakeOver Brooklyn II

Dailymotion - WWE Network

We're in August now and at TakeOver: Brooklyn II, and the NXT Tag Team Championships are the focus of this bad boy. Just under a month removed from their clash in the Cruiserweight Classic, Ciampa and Gargano challenge The Revival in this amazing match up.

Lots of support for #DIY, a lot of us were more than half expecting them to win with the push they received in the lead up to this. It was this sort of desire that boosted the emotional power of this match, with the glimmers of hope when it looked to be swinging in their favour, and the ruination of it by Dash and Dawson made those emotions take a dip into despair. 

Simply put, it was another instance of The Revival having a tag team wrestling version of King Midas's touch; another match turned to gold here.

AJ Styles vs John Cena - SummerSlam

Dailymotion - WWE Network

The night after the previous entry, it's SummerSlam. Amidst the various okay-ish matches that peppered the show, this insta-classic shone like a torch through pitch as it's saving grace.

The conclusion to the brewing fantasy feud, AJ Styles and John Cena go toe-to-toe, Brooklyn was blessed that day. This was a big 'holy shit!' match, with amazing sequences, massive spots, and lots of sphincter tightening tension. As a guy cheering AJ on at fuck-knows o'clock in the morning, I was hugely invested in this match, watching with a constantly shifting mix of elated grins and gritted teeth. 

It is another instance of Cena showing that he can fucking wrestle. If a balls out match is needed, a balls out match you will get. Their match at Money in the Bank was a much more story driven match, with The Club being a big question mark lingering, but this was the definitive bout. AJ Styles versus John Cena. No gimmicks. No shit. Pure wrestling.

The Young Bucks vs The Addiction vs The Motor City Machine Guns - All-Star Extravaganza VIII

Ring of Honour takes centre stage now and sweet shit they went above and beyond and back again. The tag team division is one of ROH's strongest assets, and throwing these three great teams together and some good stuff was bound to happen. Throw them together with ladders, some tables and a few chairs and it jumped to the next level.

Christopher Daniels died for our sins in this match. The blood was intense, verging on unsettling at the end of it. Despite the loss of copious amounts of life force, he didn't take any breaks, took the brunt of even more big moves and made sure everything went swimmingly. 

One of the coolest things ever this year was seen in this match, a Meltzer Driver off the ladder through a table, the setup seen in the picture above. Say what you will about The Young Bucks, but they know how to make a match 12 times more awesome than it currently is.

The Young Bucks vs Pentagon Jr. & Fenix - Battle of Los Angeles, Stage Three

The Young Bucks are back again, this time in Reseda, California, for the third night of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament. This time their against another brother duo in the shape of Fenix and Pentagon Jr. 

Hahaholy fuck this match had some incredible action in it (evidence above). I pray I get to see Fenix and Pentagon team a lot more in the future, because they are insane together. On their own they're amazing, then having them in the same match, and having The Young Bucks there to work with, money making formula. 

This was my personal highlight of the BOLA tournament, and just thinking about it gets me raring to go for another PWG event. They had one sometime earlier in December, but God knows when we'll see that released, let alone a preview video. Regardless, PWG know how to deliver, and deliver they did.

The Revival vs #DIY - TakeOver: Toronto


Dailymotion (Starts a couple minutes in) - WWE Network (It hasn't got its match links up, so its a link to the whole show, sorry)

They're back again! The Revival + #DIY = Am-A-Zing

It's 2 out of 3 Falls this time around and my God it added so much to the match. Each fall felt more important than the last, as the match progressed, so did the drama of it all. When you compare this to their prior clash at Brooklyn, you can see how far #DIY have come as a team, and their is a clear evolution of their approach to facing The Revival. Rematches are always at their best when you can see callbacks to the previous encounter; where Ciampa may have been blindsided before, he countered this time and so on. 

Somehow, Dash and Dawson managed to be even more dastardly, but this time, there was a more distinct feel of desperation on their part. This undying endurance from #DIY and clawing lust for life from The Revival meshed into a concoction of gods fighting for Earth itself. 

The finish was the most amped I had been in a long time, the side-by-side submission holds were a sight to behold and made for one last utterance of tension and strife. What a class match.

There you have it readers, my 'Top 10 Matches of 2016', if I had to pick one to coronate one as the best, I'd ask for more time. Some were better than others, but distinguishing between them is a nigh impossible task all things considered. 

And now, for a look at those who stood out amongst the pack these past 12 months, it's time for...

The 2016 BWOTW Awards

Male Competitor of the Year: AJ Styles

What can I say? From the Tokyo Dome then debuting at the Rumble in January, to being WWE World Champion in December, AJ Styles has had a phenomenal year, no two ways about it. You'd struggle to find a bad match of his from this year, though his booking may have been a bit shaky in the Jericho feud, he made sure those matches ruled. Lets look at all the programmes he's had this year; Jericho, Reigns, Cena, Ambrose, they've all been great to watch. Styles has become, in my opinion, the top heel in the WWE, on par with Kevin Owens. He's been able to embrace the cocky dick side of his character, reminiscent of his Bullet Club days, and has become a regular highlight in the wrestling week.

Female Competitor of the Year: Charlotte

As with AJ, though her booking may not have been the greatest, she has consistently been able to make some matches a joy to watch. History was made when she became the first holder of the reinstated WWE Women's Championship (now RAW Women's Championship), stealing the show at WrestleMania alongside her Horsewomen companions, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks. In maintaining her flawless Pay-Per-View record, her matches at these have always stood out in some way. There's no denying the effort Charlotte puts in to making her matches memorable, whether it be through throwing caution to the wind by taking to the air, or by embracing more hardcore/extreme action. 

Tag Team of the Year: The Revival

SAY YEAH! 

Dash and Dawson, The Revival, stood out in 2016. Despite being crowned NXT Tag Team Champions in November of 2016, they were a relatively un-established team, not even going by their 'Revival' moniker. However, they made people take notice, delivering classic after classic after classic in their feuds with American Alpha and #DIY. It's gotten to the point that when you see these two walk to the ring, you can expect a tag team wrestling clinic to be on show. These guys certainly do go hard, all day and night.

Title Reign of the Year: The Miz - Intercontinental Champion

Whatever I may feel towards The Miz, I have to admit that his reign as Intercontinental Champion was great. He immediately pissed me off by taking the title from Zack Ryder, and from then on he continued to be a prick. As well as all his heel antics, he also managed to put on some really good matches too; the Fatal-4-Way at Extreme Rules, plus his surprisingly good series with Ziggler. We can't not discuss his ongoing feud with Daniel Bryan. His promos on Talking Smack and all their segments together have been a joy to watch, and fundamental in The Miz becoming as good a champion as he is.

Brand/Promotion of the Year: NXT

Yes, NXT wins it. From putting on awesome TakeOvers to having a myriad of debuts, NXT has stood out amongst the rest. Dallas, The End, Brooklyn II, Toronto, plus their great shows at Osaka and Melbourne, NXT have been knocking out of the park. You just have to scroll up to see the incredible matches the brand has seen this year, plus many more. NXT has changed drastically since last year, with big name additions making up a lot of the roster; Nakamura, Roode, Almas, Aries, Strong, TM61, Young, Moon, plus more yet to debut. NXT is set to make a big impact in the coming year too.

Feud of the Year: AJ Styles vs John Cena

The feud that many thought would never occur, Mr. TNA vs Mr. WWE, the leader of The Bullet Club vs the leader of the Cenation, AJ Styles vs John Cena. Right from the off this feud was hot, with the initial pleasantries and then the Styles attack, it was all exciting stuff. We had standout promos, with Styles notching up the intensity and passion - 'People like you bury people like me'. Their match at Money in the Bank was great, then SummerSlam took all we knew and flipped it upside down. With Styles taking the name of 'The Face that Runs the Place', the effects and battle scars have lingered, and with Cena's recent return and challenge, we'll be getting Styles/Cena one more time at the Royal Rumble. Who knows what's next in store?

Innovation of the Year: Cruiserweight Classic 

From it's announcement early in the year to its debut on the WWE Network, I was seriously hyped for the Crusierweight Classic, and then that was accentuated when the lineup was announced. Guys who I had wanted to see in WWE (e.g Sabre Jr, Cedric, Ibushi, Gulak) and those returning stars (Kendrick and Tajiri) plus the usage of NXT wrestlers Ciampa, Gargano and the then yet to debut Swann. Week after week we got incredible matches, the bar being raised night after night. And now, we have a dedicated division and a network show, along with the new Cruiserweight Championship. Added to this the fact this appears to be an annual event, WWE have staked their claim in expanding their horizons, especially now with the rumoured women's tournament, and the upcoming United Kingdom Championship Tournament.

Pay-Per-View/Special Event of the Year: TakeOver Dallas

Just look at the card; Aries/Corbin, Bayley/Asuka, American Alpha/The Revival, Joe/Balor and Nakamura/Zayn. Whilst Aries and Corbin was the weakest link, it was still a real good match. Plus with the standout tag match accompanied by the downfall of Bayley and the crowning of Asuka, the event was made even better. Then you add to this my favourite of the Joe/Balor series, with the blood of Joe ramping things up. Finally, you put the jewel in the crown that is Nakamura/Zayn - a bonafide classic. What a great show, a fucking great show at that. 

Shock of the Year: Goldberg vs Lesnar - Survivor Series

Who saw this coming? Nobody. 

Goldberg at his finest, destroying fuckers. My God I was so worried this was gonna be a shitshow, with Lesnar winning and souring my week. Nope. Monday morning, break time at school, watched this on my friends phone and reacted like a madman. Incredible stuff. Also in the running was AJ's debut, however there was a lot of signs and indications in the lead up to it, as was Shane's return. But, this takes the cake as I felt it went from expecting one extreme to delivering the other. He was right, he did have (at least) one last ass-kicking left in him.
 
Spot of the Year: Shane McMahon and his WrestleMania Moment

C'mon now, how can you dispute this one? Shane O'Mac risking life and limb, diving from the top of the Cell in a bid to try and put The Deadman down and claim Monday Night RAW as his own. No matter how many times you watch it, it is exhilarating to watch. I remember being sat in my living room, on edge as he stood on the top looking down, and then being in awe during and after it. 

The Closing Thought

2016, as bad as it was overall around the world, it was a fucking great year in wrestling. WWE has shaken things up drastically, with the big name additions on both the main roster and NXT, the brand split, the Cruiserweights, added to this all the awesome matches they had to offer, 2016 was the best year in WWE for quite some time. After the debacle that was 'The Divas Revolution' the year before, the women's roster became more serious and key part of the shows. Tag team wrestling has gained a brighter spotlight all over the world, with some truly great teams getting recognition. It livened up, it gave us more reasons to watch, and was the spawning point for why I started this blog in the first place. I felt that wrestling was becoming so much better, and I needed an outlet to express my thoughts on it. I figured I could help those jaded and lapsed fans see the good stuff that there is in the wrestling world, and show it off to those newer fans. 2016, you've done me a great service, and you've set 2017 up to be a killer year. 

Thanks for checking this one out guys, hope you liked it, hope you thought I did a good job of summarising these past 12 months, and I hope next year will be great for you in whatever paths you choose to take. Have a good one!

WredditCountryClub GOAT Rumble Entry: AJ Styles

AJ Styles.

What's the first word that pops into your head when you hear that name? I know what it is for me; 'Phenomenal'.

Styles, for the majority of his 18-year-career, has been considered on the best to ever grace a professional wrestling ring, past and present. We're going to be looking at this in depth, to see if we can prove, indefinitely, if these claims are true.

We will begin our discussion by looking at his first tenure in Ring of Honour (ROH). Styles debuted for the company in 2002 on their third show, A Night of Appreciation, and quickly rose to become one of ROH's premier wrestlers. AJ helped to establish Ring of Honour in it's formative years, main eventing shows and bringing about a product quality synonymous with ROH. In 2004 at ROH's second anniversary show, Styles won a one-night tournament to become the inaugural ROH Pure Championship, a championship designed to determine the best pure wrestler on the roster, contested under different rules to standard matches.

• Each wrestler has three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls during the match. After a wrestler exhausts his rope breaks, submission and pin attempts under the ropes by the opponent are considered legal.
• There are no closed-fist punches to the face allowed in a Pure match, only open-handed slaps or chops to the face are allowed. Punches to other parts of the body (save for low-blows) are permitted. The first use of a closed fist will get a warning, and the second will cause the wrestler to be penalized a rope break. If he is already out of rope breaks, he will be disqualified.
• A wrestler is subject to a twenty count by the referee if the wrestler goes to the floor.

After defeating CM Punk to win the title, Styles reigned for 70 days before he was forced to vacate it due to his contractual obligations to Total Nonstop Action Wreslting (TNA), meaning no-one has ever beaten AJ for that championship. 

AJ would continue to wrestle for Ring of Honour until 2006, when his ties to TNA caused him to cease appearing for the promotion.

Also beginning in 2002, AJ appeared on the first TNA weekly pay-per-view, as well as their first iMPACT! later on, and became a mainstay of the company until his departure in 2013. In this time, AJ Styles won 17 championships in the company, including 2 reigns with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and currently holds the record for the most matches on TNA iMPACT!. 

AJ was an influential figure in the establishment, development and success of the X-Division which has been touted by many as the main reason for TNA's success in the mid-2000s. In total, Styles held the X-Division Championship on six occasions (joint second highest), accumulating to 272 days as champion (joint seventh longest). His work in the X-Division also produced widely considered to be the best match in the company's history and also receiving a 5* rating: Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe - Unbreakable 2005.

Over the next few years, AJ would branch out of the X-Division, finding success in the tag division with multiple partners and moving up the card into the main event scene. In 2009, AJ achieved what many regarded as well-deserved and frankly, about damn time, winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. 

With the title in hand, AJ would top the PWI rankings in 2010, the first and only TNA wrestler to do so, beating the likes of John Cena, CM Punk, Randy Orton and The Undertaker. Styles would hold the title for a then record of 211 days.

However, after Styles's reign as champion, AJ began to slip from the main event, through no fault of his own or lack of fan support. It was around this time that TNA brought in Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff to help run the company. It is of general consensus that this period of TNA is considered the worst in the company's history, both for fans and talent. This time included AJ being cast aside in favour of wrestlers considered to be more of a draw (usually meaning at some point they were in WWE). Whilst the storylines and opportunities were lacking (see Claire Lynch), AJ made the most of what was given to him and put on great matches.

After the whole Hogan/Bischoff ordeal had passed, AJ entered a new phase in his character that would be influential in his career then on, if for just looks alone. Deemed 'The Lone Wolf', AJ donned dark attire and grew his hair out, an image that would become the usual Styles appearance. In 2013, AJ won the Bound for Glory series, granting him a shot at the TNA Heavyweight Championship which he would then win at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view. 2013 would also see Styles depart the company in favour of greener pastures.

Whilst his time at TNA could be described as turbulent at times, putting it nicely, there is no denying that without Styles' work, the company would be a very different place. We can safely say that Styles was at least partly responsible for the success of the X-Division and the boom of TNA in the mid-2000s.

Following his departure from TNA, Styles made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in 2014. On his first night he attacked the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada, and challenged him to a title match. It was revealed that Styles was the newest member of one of the biggest faction's the company, and wrestling as a whole, The Bullet Club. This would be his first match in NJPW, and it would be a match he would come out of victorious, with a new hunk of gold on his shoulder. Not only was this an unprecedented event in regards to the championship and the company, but also the fact that a 'gaijin' (Japanese term for foreigner) could win the title in his first match was a rarity, a feat shared with one Brock Lesnar. 

AJ was now a major player in New Japan, and took the Bullet Club to new heights. A case can be made to say that AJ was perhaps the greatest 'gaijin' to perform in New Japan, though Kenny Omega could be on the cusp of surpassing him sometime soon. 

It is also worth noting that whilst under contract with New Japan, Styles also competed for NJPW's partners ROH as well as in the UK for Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW). Though championship gold proved elusive in ROH, Styles won the RPW British Heavyweight Championship on June 14th, 2015. AJ, along with The Young Bucks, also made the finals of the Chikara King of Trios tournament, only to be defeated by the team of Aero Star, Drago and Fenix.

2015 also saw Styles become 1 of only 15 men to have ever held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship twice, defeating the ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi. Overall, he would reach 307 combined days as champion, ranking 13th overall.

Towards the latter end of that year, AJ suffered a back injury that put him out of action for nearly two months. In January of 2016, before his departure from the company, Styles competed classic match against Shinsuke Nakamura at Wrestle Kingdom 10, ending an amazing run in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

The next chapter of Styles's career takes us now to the biggest wrestling company on the globe, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Debuting in the 2016 Royal Rumble match, Styles lasted roughly 28 minutes, eliminating 2 men in the process and set the wrestling world on fire. Going on from this Styles feuded with Chris Jericho until WrestleMania 32, an exchange he would come out of as the loser. 

Styles would really begin to shine in the WWE during his pursuits for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns. AJ faced off against Reigns twice for the gold, receiving star ratings of 4.5 and 3.75 (average of 4.125).

Following this feud, Styles began a program with John Cena, long thought to be a fantasy feud that would most probably never come to fruition, yet, here it is. In his two encounters one-on-one with Cena, their matches have an average star rating of 4.375, the latter of the two at SummerSlam considered an instant classic to some and deserving of a 5* rating to others.

Moving on from Cena and becoming the new 'Face That Runs The Place', Styles won the opportunity to challenge Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship at the revived Backlash PPV. After putting on one hell of a match, Styles would walk out victorious, with a new championship to add to his already overflowing list of accomplishments. Along with adding that acclaim to his record, in doing so, Styles also became only the third person ever to have held both the WWE Championship and the NWA Championship, joining the duo of two 'Nature Boys', Buddy Rogers and Ric Flair, who are debated to be two of the greatest of all time.

So far in WWE, AJ Styles has competed on 9 pay-per-views (also being every one he was eligible for), achieving a 4.05* average match rating, with his lowest rating being 3.5 for the six man tag of The Club vs Enzo & Cass & Cena at Battleground. Now, if we compare this to his last 9 big matches in New Japan, his average match rating is 3.80, showing that Styles is performing even better since coming to WWE, even at the age of 38 he continues to improve.

In conclusion, looking over Styles's career, we can see that he was influential in the early success of Ring of Honour and TNA, two companies which now rank at the number 2 and 3 spots in the US wrestling scene. We can also conclude that he played a major role in what many consider the 'Golden Age' of TNA and the X-Division. Looking to where he went afterwards, we can assess that AJ was key in the development of the Bullet Club becoming a top-tier faction of all time with his main event success, and also gave 'gaijin' wrestlers new heights to aim for. Finally, we can note that Styles has certainly heavily impacted the landscape of the WWE, proving how a seemingly 'overlooked' performer can come in and positively affect the company massively. And all the while, we can see that Styles has been putting on stellar matches from his early years to his current run against opponents of all shapes, sizes and styles. 

Thus ends my essay on why I believe AJ Styles to deserve the moniker of 'Greatest of All Time' in the field of professional wrestling.

[DISCLAIMER: ALL STAR RATINGS COME FROM profightdb.com, MELTZER CERTIFIED]