AJ Styles is probably the best wrestler in the world today. Apart from NJPW’s Kenny Omega, there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the planet who can match up to The Phenomenal One. And, all this despite wrestling fans fearing that he would only be a shadow of his usual self in the controlled WWE environment.
AJ has put all those fears to rest once and for all, following what has got to be one of the greatest debut years in the history of the world’s premiere wrestling promotion. But, despite this you can see that he doesn’t pull off all the moves he used to during his days with TNA, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Ring of Honor, just to name a few promotions where he has impressed.
While some of these are more than likely because of the WWE’s stringent control measures, there are some other moves which he has probably avoided due to his advancing years. A professional wrestler is only as good as the state of his body, after all.
So, without any further ado, here are 5 insane moves AJ Styles doesn’t do in the WWE.:
#5 Springboard Shooting Star Press
The Shooting Star Press is one of the riskiest moves in all of professional wrestling. Don’t believe me? Ask Brock Lesnar who suffered a concussion after botching the move against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 19. AJ’s version takes it one step further by starting off from a springboard position inside the ring.
Very few people actually have the license even to attempt the move in WWE, and while I’m very sure Styles does, he hasn’t gone for it during his time in the company. The fact that he picks his moves so carefully must be a sign of an ageing body.
He has shown his ability to perform a Springboard 450 Splash from inside the ring to the outside through a table against Dean Ambrose after all, so it makes sense that he impresses without an element of added risk.
#4 Bloody Sunday
A double-underhook brainbuster – Bloody Sunday – is one of the more vicious moves on this list, but the reason that it is here doesn't have anything to do with the WWE banning it or it being too risky for AJ Styles to perform. The reason has more to do with a New Japan Pro Wrestling connection.
Bloody Sunday was actually popularised by a man who wrestled in NJPW under the name of Prince Devitt. You may know him better as Finn Balor. When AJ Styles took over as the leader of Bullet Club following Balor’s switch to the WWE, he incorporated the move into his arsenal to pay homage to the creator of Bullet Club.
Nowadays, Balor uses the move in the WWE under the name 1916, and in a show of respect, AJ hasn’t used The Demon King’s move for himself after jumping over to WWE. Fair play to you, Mr Styles. That’s a classy gesture all around.
#3 Fosbury Flop/ Fosbury Flip
A move that AJ Styles rarely used even during his TNA days goes by the name of the Fosbury Flop. It was actually named after a high jumper who made the move famous as a technique at the Olympic Games.
Also read: 10 Phenomenal AJ Styles moments
Styles puts his own variation on it, Fosbury Flopping over the top rope before flipping onto his opponent akin to a Shooting Star Press, thereby completing the Fosbury Flip. It’s a testament to how dangerous the move is that AJ rarely performed it even in his younger years.
There seems to be very little doubt that we’ll ever be seeing this move dusted off the shelf by The Phenomenal One in the days he has left as a professional wrestler.
#2 Spiral Tap
One of AJ Styles’ most popular moves from his days in TNA and on the indy scene, the Spiral Tap is a work of art when done right, and AJ Styles always gets it right. A corkscrew of the highest difficulty, Styles pulls it off with perfection every single time.
But, it’s a move that is fraught with dangers and difficulty as one has to time the corkscrew as well as nail the landing, and it’s no surprise that AJ has left the Spiral Tap back at home rather than bringing to the ring with him at WWE.
It’s also a testament to how impressive Neville’s Red Arrow is that he does a corkscrew combined with a Shooting Star Press. No wonder The King of the Cruiserweights uses the move so rarely himself.
#1 Hollow Point
(Hollow point is number seven in the video)
A reverse Tombstone Piledriver with even less safety while landing constitutes one of the most lethal moves ever concocted by AJ Styles – the Hollow Point. He sets up the start similar to a Styles Clash, and instead of doing the hooking part of the move, it’s a straight drop on the head with the piledriver element of the move.
Seeing that piledrivers are banned in the WWE, and only The Undertaker and Kane have the permission to use the Tombstone with any regularity, there is very little doubt that we will ever be seeing Hollow Point on WWE programming.
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