AJ Styles

No, never, never a gymnast. Uh, I, I wrestled in, you know, I played sports in high school and I wrestled in college and my wife was a cheerleader. And so she knew how to do the flips and I thought it can't be that hard. And then we hung out after school. I remember there was a pole-folding mat that you could – they just left out there.

But it was soft to land on, so I was like, I can practice my backflips and stuff. And it kind of came naturally. It wasn't that hard. And she was the one that showed me how to make sure it's right. And then I perfected it a little bit more. And then once you do one back tuck, you kind of figure it out like, oh – And once you can control your body, all these flips become easy.

But it was soft to land on, so I was like, I can practice my backflips and stuff. And it kind of came naturally. It wasn't that hard. And she was the one that showed me how to make sure it's right. And then I perfected it a little bit more. And then once you do one back tuck, you kind of figure it out like, oh – And once you can control your body, all these flips become easy.

They're not very hard anymore, you know, once you experience it. Because it's like a cart. If you want to do a standing tuck correctly, it's you jump straight up. And then you turn. Like the cartoon, right? Just like that. Feels really weird. But once you figure that out, everything else becomes easy, I think.

They're not very hard anymore, you know, once you experience it. Because it's like a cart. If you want to do a standing tuck correctly, it's you jump straight up. And then you turn. Like the cartoon, right? Just like that. Feels really weird. But once you figure that out, everything else becomes easy, I think.

What did you think you were going to do for a living before you found out about wrestling? I really didn't have a clue, to be honest with you. As a kid, you're like a basketball player, football player, something. What was your sport? We didn't have football in elementary school where I was at, so I played basketball. That was my sport, baseball.

What did you think you were going to do for a living before you found out about wrestling? I really didn't have a clue, to be honest with you. As a kid, you're like a basketball player, football player, something. What was your sport? We didn't have football in elementary school where I was at, so I played basketball. That was my sport, baseball.

By the time I got to middle school, I just was playing basketball. By the time I got to high school, it then turned into wrestling and track and football. And then settled down to just football and wrestling as I graduated. So, I mean, I was into everything, but I knew I wasn't going to be a football player. I knew I could go to, you know, and wrestle in college, but then what? Never really knew.

By the time I got to middle school, I just was playing basketball. By the time I got to high school, it then turned into wrestling and track and football. And then settled down to just football and wrestling as I graduated. So, I mean, I was into everything, but I knew I wasn't going to be a football player. I knew I could go to, you know, and wrestle in college, but then what? Never really knew.

Honestly, I was kind of lost there for a minute. When I started training, I was a bottled water delivery guy. The big five-gallon jugs, I was carrying them in and doing that. That's what I did. Luckily, I think wrestling found me. Once I thought that there was a chance of being able to make money in wrestling, going, this is a good idea, didn't matter anymore because I fell in love with it.

Honestly, I was kind of lost there for a minute. When I started training, I was a bottled water delivery guy. The big five-gallon jugs, I was carrying them in and doing that. That's what I did. Luckily, I think wrestling found me. Once I thought that there was a chance of being able to make money in wrestling, going, this is a good idea, didn't matter anymore because I fell in love with it.

Yeah. Yeah. Uh, I had some friends who said that they were going to go to a training, you know, somewhere to train. I go, Oh yeah, right. I bet you are. And sure enough, they found a place about 30 minutes from the house. So I was like, okay, I'll meet you guys up there. We'll, I'll check it out with you. And, uh, and I took that first bump I was hooked. I knew I could do this.

Yeah. Yeah. Uh, I had some friends who said that they were going to go to a training, you know, somewhere to train. I go, Oh yeah, right. I bet you are. And sure enough, they found a place about 30 minutes from the house. So I was like, okay, I'll meet you guys up there. We'll, I'll check it out with you. And, uh, and I took that first bump I was hooked. I knew I could do this.

I don't know what it was because it wasn't a pleasant, you know, bump, right? It doesn't feel good. Most people think it's trampolined. It is not. Not even close. But it was at that moment, I was like, I can do this. And then you, like, I was obsessed with it. And you couldn't have told me any different. My girlfriend, bless her heart, you know, on the weekends, we're supposed to be spending time.

I don't know what it was because it wasn't a pleasant, you know, bump, right? It doesn't feel good. Most people think it's trampolined. It is not. Not even close. But it was at that moment, I was like, I can do this. And then you, like, I was obsessed with it. And you couldn't have told me any different. My girlfriend, bless her heart, you know, on the weekends, we're supposed to be spending time.

We're going to independent matches, you know, in little barns and terrible looking places and armories. And I had to tell her, like, one day, this is going to pay off. She still ended up marrying me, by the way. I don't know why. Yeah, thank God. We've been married for, I think it's 24 years now. You think it is? 2000, is that right? 24 years. August will be 25, so we're doing good.

We're going to independent matches, you know, in little barns and terrible looking places and armories. And I had to tell her, like, one day, this is going to pay off. She still ended up marrying me, by the way. I don't know why. Yeah, thank God. We've been married for, I think it's 24 years now. You think it is? 2000, is that right? 24 years. August will be 25, so we're doing good.

That might be the only thing I actually was right about, is one day this was going to pay off. Luckily, it did, because it was torture to her. Go on a date to an indie show? This sucks. Was there a point where it didn't feel like it was going to pay off? I don't know. I feel like things happen pretty quick. I mean, I got in the ring way before I was supposed to because I could do flips.

That might be the only thing I actually was right about, is one day this was going to pay off. Luckily, it did, because it was torture to her. Go on a date to an indie show? This sucks. Was there a point where it didn't feel like it was going to pay off? I don't know. I feel like things happen pretty quick. I mean, I got in the ring way before I was supposed to because I could do flips.

And, I mean, a month into training, I was already in the ring. That's way dumb. But the opportunity to learn from guys in the ring while you're wrestling is, I think, the best way to learn. You better learn quick or nobody's going to want to wrestle you. So I was a sponge, man. Anytime someone told me something, they only had to tell me once. I was going to make sure that I remembered it.