2018's Best-of-the-Best: Top 7 WWE Superstars from the first-half of 2018

#2 AJ Styles

AJ Styles was that one big fish in the sea that many of us, including this writer, never imagined we would see him signing a WWE contract.

Afterall, for nearly two decades prior to coming to the company, AJ had amassed a hall of fame worthy career while working for all of the big promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling, TNA Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor, just to name a few.

AJ could have gone the rest of his career without ever signing a WWE contract, and he would have still been thought of as one of the all-time greats, especially of this era.

But, for AJ, it wasn't about accolades or Championship reigns. It was about finishing a job and he knew that in order for the chapters to line-up perfectly in his life's book, he would need to sign with the WWE.

On January 24, 2016, just 4 days after signing his contract, The Phenomenal One made his debut as the third entrant at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

While there was some mild speculation in the air, no one truly expected to see Styles emerging on the entrance stage for The Royal Rumble.

Since arriving, Styles has been pure money. AJ Styles quickly came in and made it known that he was there to not only succeed for himself, but he also wanted to help others better themselves as well.

Most WWE Superstars view AJ as a leader in the locker room and he has proven to be worthy of that title.

About the author

Jonathan Carpenter is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda. After obtaining a degree in political science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he started writing WWE articles in 2016. Jonathan believes integrity is vital in journalism and ensures his work is high on accuracy. He conducts in-depth research and verifies information from various sources before curating a feature.

Jonathan has engaged in many meaningful conversations with prominent pro wrestling personalities like Drew McIntyre and DDP. He grew up in Memphis, admiring Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan during WWE’s Golden Era in the ‘80s. He has attended many pro wrestling events and credits The Hulkster for making his childhood memorable.

Jonathan, a big fan of Bray Wyatt, would like to see the latter's brother, Bo Dallas, continue his legacy as Uncle Howdy. If he were to work on the storyline, Jonathan would book the return of Erick Rowan as Howdy’s muscle. He thinks it would be a great way to honor the former Universal Champion.

When not writing pro wrestling features, Jonathan likes to collect sports memorabilia and has amassed a large collection of event-used and autographed relics over the years.

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Edited by Akhilesh Tirumala