source: tnawrestling.comQuote:
As we all know, Professional Wrestling is about so much more than the action that happens within the six-sided ring. Yes, TNA boasts the greatest roster of wrestlers in the entire world, but their athletic ability is truly only part of the puzzle. You see, in the fast-moving, highly competitive world of Total Nonstop Action, it's not only about wins and losses....sometimes, it's about who your friends are. Sometimes, it's about how you conduct yourself. Sometimes, it's about making those hard decisions that inevitably show the world exactly what you truly stand for. Every week...every day.... every minute, TNA stars are subject to choices that could affect their careers, their personal lives, and their public image. Like anything in life, there are two sides to every story, and every week, I will bring you one of those “Burning Issues”…read on, and feel free to talk amongst yourselves:
What wrestler from the past five years best exemplifies Total Nonstop Action? Is it Jeff Jarrett, the most prolific Heavyweight Champion thus far? Is it Samoa Joe, holder of the longest winning streak in TNA history? Is it Sting, Christian Cage or Kurt Angle, established superstars who have all begun new chapters of their legendary careers with TNA? These are all fine choices, but to a truly discriminating observer, the truly superior choice has to be more than "fine"...they have to be phenomenal...they have to be AJ Styles.
Since day one in TNA, AJ Styles has proven his athletic superiority, wowing fans worldwide with his offensive innovation. First quickly rising to the top of the X-Division, Styles soon found himself co-holding the Tag Team Championships as well. It wasn't long before Styles won his first World Heavyweight Championship, and the following years saw him effortlessly bounce between the divisions in dominating fashion, recapturing each championship on multiple occasions. He has blossomed from a young upstart to an experienced veteran, creating some of TNA's most memorable moments along the way. If there was to be a TNA Hall Of Fame tomorrow, surely his name would already be on the short list of potential inductees.
Yet, at Victory Road, AJ Styles was not in the main event. He was busy teaming with Tomko against Abyss and Sting, two enemies of Christian Cage. In fact, most of Styles time has been recently spent defending Cage, helping out Tomko and generally working for the good of everyone in his crew - but himself – and seemingly content to run in a pack instead of leading it. Is AJ making a mistake following Cage, or is it the best move of his career?
AJ IS SMART LEARNING FROM CHRISTIAN CAGE:
Don’t cry for AJ Styles. In TNA’s early days, he rose above the myriad of young, inexperienced talent to make a name for himself as one of wrestling’s elite. He entertained both fans and critics far and wide with his death-defying athleticism. No risk was too great, no climb too high, no leap too far…if it could even possibly be done, the Phenomenal One would go for it. Sometimes it paid off, sometimes it didn’t, but as long as the fans were happy, AJ was happy. If money, fame, and championships came with it so much the better.
Fast forward to 2007, and things are very different in the world of TNA. Big shots like Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe rule the roost, but one man has managed to maintain his stroke, superstar status and sterling win-loss record over the last couple of years: Christian Cage. In years past, Cage had been a reckless, high-flying daredevil in his own right before learning how to succeed using his mind more while crashing and burning less. Suddenly, it became clear: Cage’s career was the blueprint that Styles wanted to follow.
Before long, AJ and Cage were inseparable, even as the “Instant Classic” surrounded himself with other associates like his old bodyguard, Tomko, and Scott Steiner. Styles has become enthralled with Cage’s career, and has seemingly dedicated himself to supporting his mentor, and why not? Maybe today, he risks his neck for Cage, but in the future, he will have the wisdom that will allow him to work smarter, not harder…just like his hero.
AJ IS MAKING A MISTAKE:
As stated earlier, the origins of TNA were deeply rooted in wrestling’s youth. AJ Styles, along with upstarts like Senshi, “Cowboy” James Storm, “Wildcat” Chris Harris and a host of others were able to take advantage of a new playing field, so to speak. They ran with the ball they were given, and enjoyed success early on because there weren’t many veterans on the roster yet. Not to say that these amazing talents weren’t worthy of their accomplishments; they simply lacked the confidence that comes from mixing it up with the sport’s established stars.
All of that changed several years later when some of the biggest names in wrestling began to realize that TNA was the place to be. Main event players like Rhino, Team 3D, Sting, and yes, Christian Cage made their way to the Impact Zone, and it’s hard to imagine that the younger stars like Styles weren’t at least a little intimidated.
In fact, perhaps the mere presence of stars like Cage and Kurt Angle was enough to shake AJ’s faith in himself completely. Maybe that’s why he has chosen the “safer” role of playing second fiddle to the “Instant Classic”. Maybe that’s why, for now, the “old” AJ Styles…the former multiple time World, X-Division and Tag Team Champion has been tamed…by himself.
It won’t last. It can’t. Styles has always thrived on competition, no matter how big, strong, fast, or tough that competition might be. AJ needs to realize that he doesn’t need to learn how to be on Christian Cage’s level…he already is. The fans know it, TNA director Jim Cornette knows it…heck, maybe AJ himself is the only person that doesn’t know it.
At some point, he will have to find out. He will have to test himself against the best because that’s what truly great competitors do.They fight. They struggle. They soar. AJ Styles used to do all of those things, and he will again one day…maybe even against Christian Cage, definitely in “Phenomenal” fashion.
