AJ Styles is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and for the longest time, it looked like he would never wrestle in a WWE ring. But then in 2016, he made his debut at the Royal Rumble, shocking fans around the world.
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Over the years, Styles has proven just why he is regarded as the greatest wrestler on two feet right now. He has had multiple championship reigns, has feuded with some of the top names in WWE, and has thrived as a face and heel. He has put on great matches against a variety of opponents both as a hero and as a villain.
10 Babyface: Vs. Finn Balor (TLC 2017)
At the TLC pay-per-view in 2017, Bray Wyatt was expected to face off against Finn Balor in singles competition. But with Wyatt not cleared to compete, SmackDown's AJ Styles replaced him in what was supposed to be a Raw-exclusive PPV.
The match had no build whatsoever, it was just two extremely talented wrestlers doing what they do best in the ring. Fans were already chanting, "This is awesome" before the match even got started. The match had a big fight feel and The Demon and Styles absolutely delivered. They called back to their days in the Bullet Club with the "too sweet" salute, giving fans a dream match that absolutely lived up to expectations. Though Styles didn't win, he still succeeded on delivering one of his best performances in a WWE ring.
9 Heel: Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Roderick Strong (Survivor Series 2019)
In the battle for brand supremacy at Survivor Series in 2019, United States Champion AJ Styles took on the Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and North American Champion Roderick Strong in a triple-threat match.
All three men were at their very best and used the triple-threat set-up to great effect. Nakamura in particular looked like a prizefighter against two of the finest performers in the promotion. The final sequence saw Styles hit Nakamura with the Phenomenal Forearm, before Strong slid in, disposed of Styles, and pinned The Artist for the win.
8 Babyface: Vs. Seth Rollins (Money In The Bank 2019)
At Money in the Bank in 2019, fans were treated to a true dream match, as Seth Rollins defended the Universal Championship in his first match against AJ Styles. Expectations were extremely high for both performers.
The match itself was booked perfectly. Neither man really got the upper hand, as the momentum swung from one man to the other over the course of the match. Rollins just proved to be the better man that night, as he picked up the extremely hard-fought victory. Not only did this encounter live up to expectations, but it also proved that if WWE ever wanted a marquee feud, it could turn to Styles vs. Rollins.
7 Heel: Vs. John Cena (Money In The Bank 2016)
As John Cena and AJ Styles faced off for the first time ever, they stood in the ring, soaking in the moment, as fans chanted either man's name. Expectations were extremely high, but Cena and Styles somehow managed to shatter them, delivering a truly phenomenal match that blew fans away.
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With the referee knocked out, Cena had the match won, before Anderson and Gallows emerged to help Styles pick up the win. Fans were not happy about the finish, but the possibility of a rematch down the line, and the sheer awesomeness of what they had just witnessed, still made this match a massive success.
6 Babyface: Vs. Samoa Joe (SummerSlam 2018)
Heading into SummerSlam in 2018, Samoa Joe had positioned himself as the number one contender to AJ Styles' WWE Championship. In the weeks leading up to the match, Joe had repeatedly targeted Style's wife and daughter.
Fuelled by emotion and anger, Styles took the fight to Joe as his family watched the match from ringside. It was a brutal, violent match. After driving Styles into the steel steps, Joe grabbed a mic and promised to be Wendy's new 'daddy'. A bloodied Styles took out his challenger with a steel chair, drawing a disqualification. The finish made sense in the context of the storyline, even if fans wanted a definitive conclusion. The action that preceded it was also top-notch and showcased some amazing babyface fire from Styles.
5 Heel: Vs. John Cena Vs. Dean Ambrose (No Mercy 2016)
WWE kicked off No Mercy 2016 with what was supposed to be the main-event of the night; AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship. Styles had the odds stacked against him, against two of WWE's biggest faces.
The flow of the match was perfect, and each man pulled off some truly amazing moves, including a top-rope Frankensteiner. In the final sequence of the match, Cena had the championship won when he took out Ambrose before Styles came in with a steel chair to pin the Franchise Player and successfully defend his championship. It was a fantastic match, with each wrestler looking strong.
4 Babyface: Vs. Roman Reigns (Extreme Rules 2016)
Fans were not happy after Roman Reigns defeated Triple H in the main-event of WrestleMania 32 to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. To get his reign off to a great start, WWE booked AJ Styles as the number one contender to the championship.
While they had a strong showing at Payback, their match at Extreme Rules was fantastic. It was hard-hitting, and Styles sold for Reigns like crazy, making the Big Dog looked like a world-beater. The involvement of Gallows and Anderson and The Usos was also well done, before Reigns picked up the really hard-fought win. Seth Rollins taking out Reigns after the match was the perfect way to cap-off a phenomenal main-event.
3 Heel: Vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 36)
AJ Styles headed into the biggest match of his career against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36. In the build to the match, Styles blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality, calling The Undertaker by his real name and regularly targeting The Deadman's wife, Michelle McCool, in his promos.
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This forced The Undertaker to unleash The Holy Trinity (Mark Calaway, The Deadman, and The American Badass) in a phenomenal Boneyard Match. It was an amazing battle that celebrated 'Taker's legendary career. Styles was nothing short of fantastic in the build, and he put in one of his finest performances in the match itself.
2 Babyface: Vs. Brock Lesnar (Survivor Series 2017)
At Survivor Series 2017, the WWE Champion AJ Styles faced off against the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in singles competition. While the match started off predictably enough, with Lesnar dominating Styles, the WWE Champion fought back by targeting Lesnar's legs.
Multiple close-finishes saw Styles almost pick up the win as the arena came unglued before Lesnar picked up what was probably the hardest win of his career. The finish saw Styles come out strong, as he hobbled The Beast and almost picked up the win. Both men had amazing chemistry in the ring and put on arguably the greatest match of the night.
1 Heel: Vs. John Cena (SummerSlam 2016)
After picked up a tainted victory at Money in the Bank, AJ Styles sought to make it 2-0 against John Cena at SummerSlam in 2016. This time, neither man waited to savor the moment, as they immediately took the fight to each other.
Both men threw everything except the kitchen sink at each other. Cena kicked out of the Styles Clash, while AJ earned the biggest pop of the night when he kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment from the top rope. The masterpiece came to an end when Styles dropped Cena with a Phenomenal Forearm to pick up the clean victory. The pacing and the finish were both better than their first match, as Styles and Cena put on an instant classic.
NEXT: Randy Orton: 5 Best Matches As A Heel (& 5 Best As A Babyface)
