AJ Styles explains why Finn Balor and Karl Anderson inspire him

AJ Styles will defend his WWE Intercontinental Championship this Friday night on SmackDown against Jeff Hardy. The 'Phenomenal One' AJ Styles was recently streaming on Twitch. During the stream, Styles opened up about his respect for WWE Superstar Finn Balor and Impact Wrestling star Karl Anderson, who moved to Japan when they were young to try and be successful.

Thank you ufc 4 courtesy of EA @emmawaldren @easportsufc #ufc4 pic.twitter.com/PVJNlUJeBY

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) August 19, 2020

Styles also included New Japan Pro Wrestling star Jay White, who also moved from New Zealand to Japan as a young lion. AJ Styles said that their success inspired him and he was happy to see how far they've come:

I think about guys who, like Karl Anderson and Jay White, and the things that they did to make a name for themselves. Like, they literally went to a different country, lived in Japan. I know when Karl did it, him and Finn Balor, they didn't have anything. All they had was each other, no internet, none of that way back when they were training. The things that they went through is pretty impressive, and to see how far they've come, man, it's inspiring. If you ever get the chance to talk to them or find out their story, it's unbelievable.

Karl Anderson was released by WWE earlier this year along with tag-team partner Doc Gallows as WWE braced for the financial implications of the COVID-19 outbreak. Both Gallows and Anderson have since signed for Impact Wrestling.

Spoiler: This match is going to be GOOD!@AJStylesOrg defends his #ICTitle against @JEFFHARDYBRAND NEXT FRIDAY on #SmackDown at 8/7c on @FOXTV! pic.twitter.com/6GImkvhMiV

— WWE (@WWE) August 15, 2020

AJ Styles wanted to be a policeman

During one of his recent streams, AJ Styles also opened up about how his career could have gone in a totally different direction. He said that he considered being a policeman at one point but chose wrestling instead. Here's what AJ Styles said:

I don’t know where it would have lead me to. It would be a lot different, I can promise you that. I mean, I thought maybe a cop, I thought going into the military. What would I have done if I had not had my eye on wrestling – that’s a good question. At some point, you’re going to have to figure out what you’re going to do with your life and how you’re going to support your family. I got married while I was on the indies, but I still had a job. But I knew I was going to make it [in wrestling] somehow and someway. I didn’t know I was going to make it to this level, but I knew I was going to make a living wrestling. H/T: WrestlingEdge

AJ Styles is all set to defend his title on SmackDown this Friday night against Jeff Hardy.