WWE RAW star is this generation's Shawn Michaels, JBL says

Shawn Michaels is considered by many to be one of the greatest WWE in-ring performers ever. In a recent podcast episode, John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) claimed RAW star AJ Styles is on the same level as The Heartbreak Kid.

Styles joined WWE in 2016 after making his name in NJPW and TNA. The 48-year-old quickly established himself as one of the company's top talents during memorable feuds with John Cena and Roman Reigns. He also won the WWE Championship within eight months of his debut.

On Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, JBL said Styles is a modern-day version of Michaels:

"I've said many times, I thought he was this generation's Shawn Michaels. He's that good. I've never seen him have a bad match. He's just amazing. Amazing talent." [1:20:41 – 1:20:50]

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Shawn Michaels broke out as one of WWE's top singles stars in the 1990s after separating from his Rockers tag team partner, Marty Jannetty. The 59-year-old is a two-time Hall of Famer and currently works as the booker for WWE's NXT brand.

Karl Anderson reacts to AJ Styles-Shawn Michaels comparison

The latest Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw episode featured Karl Anderson as a special guest. Anderson is close friends with AJ Styles and has worked with The Phenomenal One in NJPW, WWE, and elsewhere.

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According to Anderson, Styles deserves credit for making his opponents look good during matches:

"Unselfish. Calling a match, he'll put you over to the moon. It was a pleasure to watch him wrestle the big matches in Japan as well because we'd always be out there with the Bullet Club, talking s**t and helping each other beat people up." [1:20:50 – 1:21:08]

Anderson also revealed how another WWE star, Shinsuke Nakamura, helped him financially earlier in his wrestling career.

Please credit Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart