"Luckily, I was able to keep the whole name" - AJ Styles reveals what Triple H told him while signing with WWE

AJ Styles almost lost his name when he was first signing with WWE. Currently, AJ Styles is an established veteran in the company, and in the past five years since his debut, he has proven himself to be a valued member of the roster. However, when he first came to WWE, AJ Styles knew that he might lose his brand and be a very different wrestler than he had been before signing.

In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, AJ Styles talked about his experience in first joining WWE. Despite achieving success outside WWE, Styles knew that he might be able to retain even his name or any part of his brand when he was signing with the company. Triple H made it clear in the first conversation that he had with Styles.

The two-time WWE Champion has won multiple championships since he came to WWE. He has also achieved a level of success that no fan thought was possible. Prior to his arrival in WWE, Styles was famous as being the wrestler who helped to build TNA (now IMPACT Wrestling) from the ground up. He also made it big in NJPW where he became the leader of the Bullet Club.

Styles' arrival in WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble shook up the wrestling world, and soon enough he had won his first title and become a top-tier wrestler in the company.

Thankfully for Styles, he was able to keep his name and the appreciation that the company had for the star has been clear during his run.

"I remember Triple H and I talking and he said, 'I don't know if we're going to be able to keep your name. I said, 'That's fine, I have no problem. Just so you know, I have this huge tattoo on my side that says AJ. It's not my name, it's my kids' initials and birthdays, but just throwing that out there.' Luckily, I was able to keep the whole name AJ Styles, and it worked out for the best," AJ Styles said.

I had a lot of thoughts running through my mind that day. Some of the same thoughts that ran through my mind for the seventeen years before I stepped foot through the curtain. #RoyalRumble will always be special to me. #WWEUntold Jan. 17 on @WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/JIPUeoFCd6

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) January 11, 2021

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AJ Styles on the reason he didn't go to NXT on signing with WWE

Most wrestlers who sign with WWE initially head to NXT. However, Styles was very much the exception to this rule. Not only did he debut at the Royal Rumble, but he also went on to have feuds with Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, and John Cena, among others. The Phenomenal One also won the WWE Championship in the same year.

AJ Styles' documentary is releasing soon on the WWE Network.

It’s been a long, wild journey. https://t.co/6hv0j7Dv4H

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) January 13, 2021

AJ Styles talked about why he didn't go to NXT when he first came to WWE.

"I would've, I think, gone to NXT for a couple of months to get familiar with what's going on and how it's done there, but I felt like as far as my career is concerned, I didn't really have the time to spend in NXT," AJ Styles said.

"I knew it had to be on the main roster so that, somehow, some way, I could make myself a bigger star. In the end, this is a job and I'd like to make more money, as much as I can before I retire.”

At that age, not going to NXT might have been the best decision for Styles. Since then his main roster career has flourished, making him one of the fan favorites in WWE.