'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AJ Styles is well known for his selfless deeds outside the ring, behind the scenes, long before he made it to WWE. So many wrestlers have nothing short of great things to say about the veteran. The New Day member Xavier Woods recently revealed how the Phenomenal One got him his first gig, which eventually led him to sign a deal.
Xavier Woods in WWE is known for his highly entertaining run in the tag team division alongside Kofi Kingston and Big E. At 36 years young, Woods is a Tag Team Triple Crown Champion, having not only held all three belts of the respective brands, but also has a total of 12 reigns to his credit.
In a recent interview on Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito, Xavier Woods shared an anecdote of his first match post-college, which was, as it turns out, a tag team contest, alongside WWE veteran R-Truth:
"I was in college, I was a senior, and my goal was to try to get a contract with a major wrestling organization before I graduated. I ended up getting a shot on a big show because a guy by the name of AJ Styles vouched for me," Woods began. He vouched for me, and I was in this match, sight unseen, and they let me wrestle on TV on the largest show of the year for them and I was in the first match against AJ and his tag team partner, and I was teaming with R-Truth."
Suffice it to say that Xavier Woods is grateful to the multi-time wrestling world champion, who, in the words of the former, "took a chance" on him:
"After that, I got a contract, and I hit my goal. I was a contracted TV wrestler before I graduated college because AJ took a chance on me," Woods recalled. [H/T: Fightful]
AJ Styles and Xavier Woods later got to tussle plenty of times in a WWE ring, including once on The Grandest Stage of Them All, in 2021. On the show, Styles and Omos defeated the New Day to win the RAW Tag Team Championship.
Xavier Woods answers why the former WWE Champion took a chance on him
When asked why AJ Styles took a liking to him, Xavier Woods revealed that his good friend Sal Rinauro informed him that Styles was looking to get back into singles competition after a stint in the tag team division.
Woods trained with the veteran four to five hours every day for an entire week before The Phenomenal One offered the gig.
"I worked in a daycare at the time, she knew how much I wanted to be a wrestler. She gave me the week off work, and I went up there every day and we worked out for four or five hours each day. After that, he [AJ Styles] called me up and said, 'Are you busy this weekend?' 'No.' He got me on the show and we went from there. It's nothing but love to AJ." [H/T: Fightful]
The veteran has been the target of many rising stars on WWE SmackDown of late, including Karrion Kross, with whom the former is currently embroiled in a feud, and Grayson Waller, who took a controversial shot at The Phenomenal One recently.
Check out what Styles had to say regarding his plans post-retirement from WWE as an in-ring competitor here.
