5 Things that would have happened if AJ Styles joined WWE 10 years ago

#4 Would AEW even exist?

AEW

If AJ Styles had never gone to New Japan, would there have eventually been an All Elite Wrestling promotion?

The short answer: Yeah, probably. But, let's keep going down this rabbit hole since we're already here and don't have anything else to do.

As we mentioned before, AJ Styles' tenure in Bullet Club also coincided with their rise to mega-popularity around the world. Because of that popularity, the faction became the group to be a part of gaijin looking to work in Japan.

Anyway, in 2016, AJ Styles' run in NJPW (and, in turn, his run as leader of Bullet Club) ended after Kenny Omega attacked The Phenomenal One after a match - an attack that was joined by The Young Bucks, followed by the rest of Bullet Club. This led to the formation of The Elite, a sub-faction within Bullet Club consisting of Omega and the Bucks. Eventually, that group would grow, gaining Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll as members.

All of this led to The Bucks and Cody forming All Elite Wrestling, which you may have heard of.

Now, if AJ Styles had never joined NJPW and, by extension, Bullet Club, would The Elite have become an official faction upon his leaving the company? Eh, possibly. But, the fact of the matter is: no Elite, no All Elite Wrestling. And if Bullet Club isn't the wrestling and pop culture phenomenon it was, there's a chance that Cody doesn't want to join. And, without Cody Rhodes, there's probably no All Elite Wrestling.