BOAD: AJ Styles to WWE HOF
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Why was AJ Styles’ Hall of Fame announcement such a surprise on RAW?
Welcome to the Busted Open After Dark podcast. I'm your host, Tommy Dreamer, talking Monday Night Raw and the tribute to AJ Styles, a farewell podcast. And in a shocking surprise during it, I'm gonna talk about it right now.
This is the Busted Open Podcast.
The newest member of the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame and rightfully so, AJ Styles. What a phenomenal farewell and a phenomenal choice um for the Hall of Fame. Could definitely tell AJ was taken off guard, can definitely tell it was a great moment um to be had. Uh I was completely called off caught off guards. I actually thought that Undertaker was gonna come out of retirement and say one more match since they viewed the uh clip of AJ uh talking I mean sorry, Undertaker talking about AJ and say it's fitting that my last match was against uh AJ Styles, and I was just like, Oh my god, they're gonna do it. They're gonna do it. Yeah. They're gonna he's gonna come back. Taker looks great. Everybody could have an amazing match with AJ Styles.
And then I was just as happy uh for the announcement. Um You're gonna see every wrestler, including myself, talk about it. You're gonna see every wrestler that's ever shared a ring, um, worked with, uh, talk highly of AJ Styles. AJ Styles is exactly what his moniker was, phenomenal. And There's so many different levels to A. J. Styles and uh but, you know, even if you talk about his speech, uh, you know, he's v puts it on his wife and his kids and talks about his career. He's had an amazing career, right? From You know, he he did start out uh on the Indies, on the Georgia independence, then he started out in WCW towards the tail end of WCW, uh had a little bit of matches there. Um they go out of business.
T and A, you know, eventually comes into the business and he really does set his career. In his speech, he mentioned what I mean he talked A great deal about, you know, his career and his life, which is just a snippet of what you'll get at the Hall of Fame. But What he did for TNA, I mean, most people if you say T and A, still to this day you talk about AJ Styles. He is the greatest homegrown talent A um TNA has ever developed. Uh I would say that would be A.
How did AJ Styles’ early career in the Indies and WCW shape his legacy?
J. Styles. And That match with him, Joe, and Christopher Daniels did really set the tone for because I I mean, I know it's a lifetime ago, but the business was such dominated by big men, and it set the tone of this style and these guys who aren't blessed with hype but could still be main eventors and really helped put TA on. on the map and thankfully that he did do that. Um you know, me and Dave, I've said this before on this show. Uh Andre the producing giant said he could be considered, you know, the top guy for four major companies. I definitely say for three. There's very few people that you could say are the face of a company after his career. And again he addresses this all in his uh speech after his career in T and A leaves.
We also do a m uh whole master's class about AJ Styles between myself, Mark Henry And bully ray, um then uh goes and and an uncertainty future man. I remember that time because listen when I went to T and A for myself, I was I had left WWE and I was so uncertain. And my first guy that I'm working is AJ Styles and I realized how better He was than me and it was the first time I ever was like, hmm, someone's better than me. And how he adapted and and I loved my matches uh that I had with AJ. But I was like, this guy is everything that the world said he is. And then but again back then it was like, man, he may not ever make it to WWE. Thankfully he goes to New Japan. He kicks ass in New Japan. He said it about the Good Brothers.
You know, the Good Brothers showing them how to have fun uh in Japan, being away from your family, the whole bullet club thing, winning the IWGP title. You know, that also was a big monumental time because it was always for you know, especially in Japan, the IWGP heavyweight title. And he was, you know, the guy and really helped when there was a boom period for New Japan and AJ Styles was that top guy. And then you also have, you know, the Young Bucks crushing it.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why was AJ Styles’ Hall of Fame announcement such a surprise on RAW?
0:00–2:51
2
How did AJ Styles’ early career in the Indies and WCW shape his legacy?
2:51–5:54
3
What impact did AJ Styles have on TNA and why is he considered its greatest homegrown talent?
5:54–8:25
4
How did AJ Styles’ New Japan stint elevate his global reputation?
8:25–12:06
5
Why is AJ Styles’ Royal Rumble debut and exit considered a full‑circle moment?
12:06–14:37
6
What made the RAW tribute segment (Undertaker, video packages) so memorable for AJ?
14:37–16:53
7
Will AJ Styles pursue opportunities in AEW or TNA after his Hall of Fame induction?
16:53–19:38
8
How does AJ Styles balance his wrestling career with family and personal faith?
19:38–22:29