Is it too late for AJ Styles to be the top face in the company?

[Mr. Nerfect]

In the Attitude era, Styles would have done enough breathtaking stuff to be featured in plenty of highlight reels and that sort of shit. He may not have been WWE Champion for 200 days, but he'd have had plenty of merch, been popular and therefore gotten focus. Think along the lines of Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, and, at times, X-Pac. He'd have gotten the occasional important spot, sold his ass off for the heel kicking his ass, gotten cheers and people would have taken notes of his talent, which has always been there if not always as "matured" as it is today. In WCW, he would have been given the Cruiserweight Title and would have been talked about as one of the most exciting guys they have, and in the WWF probably would have sniffed a surprisingly important supporting spot as an MVP delivering stellar matches outside the Austin ass kickings. He wouldn't have been swept under the rug. People were going nuts for him in 2002, before Austin had even retired.

[#1-norm-fan]

Originally Posted by Noid In the Attitude era, Styles would have done enough breathtaking stuff to be featured in plenty of highlight reels and that sort of shit. He may not have been WWE Champion for 200 days, but he'd have had plenty of merch, been popular and therefore gotten focus. Think along the lines of Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, and, at times, X-Pac. He'd have gotten the occasional important spot, sold his ass off for the heel kicking his ass, gotten cheers and people would have taken notes of his talent, which has always been there if not always as "matured" as it is today. In WCW, he would have been given the Cruiserweight Title and would have been talked about as one of the most exciting guys they have, and in the WWF probably would have sniffed a surprisingly important supporting spot as an MVP delivering stellar matches outside the Austin ass kickings. He wouldn't have been swept under the rug. People were going nuts for him in 2002, before Austin had even retired.

Yes. I agree. He would have been Mysterio, Hardy, RVD, X-Pac. Valuable upper carder putting on good wrestling matches but not being pushed as the face of the company. That's where he belongs. You're making my point. I never said he's useless.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by #1-wwf-fan Yes. I agree. He would have been Mysterio, Hardy, RVD, X-Pac. Valuable upper carder putting on good wrestling matches but not being pushed as the face of the company. That's where he belongs. You're making my point. I never said he's useless.

That's in the Attitude era. A lot of people would suggest that RVD should have been given a bigger push during the period, and Jeff Hardy would turn out to be the biggest draw they had in 2009. In a contemporary setting, those are the types of talent that are causing the buzz. You don't have an Austin or a Rock to supersede your star through performance.

It certainly wasn't Jinder. And crowds felt ready to take AJ Styles over Cena when they put him over. It didn't feel out of place. They chose Styles over Ambrose (quite decisively). The Wyatt/Orton/Jinder fiasco killed all interest in the WWE Title until Styles restored it somewhat. He's a lot more interesting and exciting than pretty much anyone else on the roster -- more "eloquent" or not. When he talks, I'm listening to him because I want to, whereas I don't give a flying fuck about Ziggler or Wyatt. That's partly charisma.