AJ Styles can be the superstar that spearheads WWE into a new era

Styles was Total Nonstop Action’s crown jewel for more than a decade before applying his craft for NJPW

AJ Styles is headed to the WWE, according to reports (Getty Images)

“Emmanuel Eboue Arsene?” Gazidis asks with a huge grin on his face. “Can we get him on a free?” Wenger responds. January is the month when football clubs dive into the transfer window to buy players (or get them on a free) that can help them during the final months of the season. But the footballing people of this world aren’t the only ones doing business this month. WWE are making their own fair share of world class signings.

In the aftermath of New Japan Pro Wrestling's biggest event of the year - Wrestle Kingdom 10 – it was reported that four of the company’s top stars were leaving the promotion to join WWE. One of those wrestlers is former Bullet Club leader “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles.

Ring of Honor has already announced that Styles will make his last appearance with the company tomorrow and it is expected that he will then be on the road with WWE on a full-time basis. Styles will be hopping on a plane to Florida on Sunday morning. However, he won’t be travelling to Tampa and entering the NXT jungle like Samoa Joe did when he was signed. He will be landing in Orlando for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view instead.

Fellow veterans Shinsuke Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson are also set to join Styles in WWE. Although, it is unclear whether they will join him on the main roster or head down to NXT. There is a possibility that they could reunite with former Bullet Club leader Finn Balor and form a WWE version of the stable. This news sounds like one big joke, one big dream, but this isn’t the Arsenal board with £200 million in the bank pulling your leg and selling big money moves. These deals are edging ever closer to reality and they are quite simply WWE’s biggest acquisitions since they re-signed Brock Lesnar in 2012.

Due to WWE’s current injury crisis it makes perfect sense that Styles is heading straight up to the main roster. With Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and John Cena sidelined indefinitely, (and many others also still recovering from respective injuries) Styles’ presence will help compensate for the lack of star power heading into WrestleMania season.

AJ Styles was Total Nonstop Action’s crown jewel for more than a decade before applying his craft for NJPW, Ring of Honor as well as other promotions. In TNA Styles held 19 titles including three NWA World Heavyweight Championships and two TNA World Titles. During his time in Japan, Styles won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on two occasions meaning he has seven World Titles to his name.

To be precise, showing up at a WWE event would count as a return for Styles rather than a debut. He wrestled in a WWE ring twice in 2002, including a bout with The Hurricane on WWE Jakked and a SmackDown dark match against Rico.

“The Phenomenal One” has thrilled audiences worldwide in every promotion he has wrestled for. He has established himself as one of the best talents on the planet over the last two years and it’s no surprise that Vince McMahon has finally plucked up the courage to sign him following years of speculation about whether he would ever be seen in a WWE ring again. The addition of Styles would have to be considered one of the greatest signings since the turn of the millennium.

Will Styles ever reach the absolute pinnacle in WWE? Such a question is difficult to answer at this moment as future plans for his character are currently unknown. Regardless of the direction they take with him there is no doubt that “The Phenomenal One” can be a huge draw for the company in all departments - whether that be merchandise, television ratings or pay-per-view buys. McMahon is well aware of this, there are dollar signs stamped all over him.

Typically, McMahon has a history of pushing ‘big’, ‘muscular’ stars to the top considering them to be larger than life superstars that fans can believe and invest money in. Styles would be deemed ‘too small’ to be a main-event star in WWE and would never progress past the mid-card.

But those attitudes have been gathering dust for a long time and it appears that the winds of change have finally struck the company’s hierarchy. The acquisition of Styles signifies a change in McMahon’s philosophy. Instead of sticking to the stereotypical views of what a main-event superstar should look like, it seems like WWE may have accepted that both wrestling ability and the ability to entertain should be prioritised above everything else.

Styles hasn’t held back in addressing the WWE rumours and even teased a possible appearance in the Royal Rumble match at Revolution Pro Wrestling’s High Stakes event at Bethnal Green’s York Hall last Saturday. Styles cut a promo after his defeat by Britain’s Zack Sabre Jr thanking the fans for their support and tackled the speculation regarding his future: "You put me in that Royal Rumble, and I'm going to kick some ass for you guys," he said.

Entering the Rumble match is the best way to introduce Styles to the WWE Universe and create some much needed buzz for the company both on the night and moving forward. If he competes in the match, the 38-year-old can showcase his move sets and signature manoeuvres in front of an audience which may include a few fans who are not too familiar with who he is.

This scenario provides casual fans and those from a young demographic with a good opportunity to witness and learn more about his unique style. Above all, returning in a match with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line which will pit him against the company’s biggest stars such as “The Beast” Brock Lesnar, Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens and the champion himself: Roman Reigns.

The fact that Reigns is defending the gold in the Rumble match means that 30 of the best wrestlers on the planet should be doing anything and everything they can to win the biggest prize in the entire industry. The addition of Styles in the match along with some cool high-risk spots and a lengthy effort would definitely provide that big match feeling.

Styles is a familiar face in the Orlando area as the TNA Impact Zone was located just down the road from the Amway Center - which will host the Royal Rumble PPV - at Universal Studios between 2004 and 2013. With all the speculation and hype about his imminent arrival to the WWE, Styles is guaranteed a thunderous reaction from what is certain to be an intellectual, diehard wrestling crowd at the event – who will be well educated about his achievements in the business.

The world of professional wrestling would love to see Styles this Sunday – fans and superstars alike. Finn Balor is walking around the NXT Performance Center teasing and selfie snapping, unable to hold in his excitement. Even John Cena posted a picture of the “The Phenomenal One” on his Instagram account in anticipation of his return. Daniel Bryan? Well...the rumours have just fuelled his impossible mission to get WWE to clear him. However, it's still possible that WWE could wait until the following night’s Raw to use Styles to give him more focus.

Styles will give the writers more options heading into WrestleMania 32 in Dallas. Fans will already be penning a list of possible fantasy matches. Styles vs. Daniel Bryan (if he ever gets the nod from WWE doctors), Cesaro, Seth Rollins, or John Cena can main event any card. Furthermore, with numerous independent stars currently signed to NXT, the potential for elite wrestling bouts are endless.

Along with the other three signings, Styles can be the superstar that spearheads WWE into a new era. I’m just hoping that WWE composer Jim Johnston has prepared him some cool entrance music that will do him justice and not some generic malarkey.