There’s no doubt that when AJ Styles puts his WWE title on the line against Shinsuke Nakamura next month, wrestling fans the world over will be glued to their screens.
The term ‘Dream Match’ is often an overused sentiment, but it’s one that certainly applies when talking about this WrestleMania match. For all the talk and hype over Ronda Rousey’s in-ring debut and even Daniel Brayn’s triumphant comeback, the bout that fans are most excited about is seeing AJ Styles finally stepping in the ring with Shinsuke Nakamura.
Sure to be a show-stealer, Styles and Nakamura will aim to bring this first WWE meeting up another level from their classic at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 10, and the WWE champion is relishing the challenge…
Firstly lets alleviate any fears we’ve heard about a possible injury. Are you fit and raring to go for WrestleMania?
If my leg got cut off, I’d find a way to get to WrestleMania. I will be wrestling Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania don’t you worry. I’ll be fine.
Now that’s settled, how excited are you to be facing Shinsuke Nakamura on the biggest stage of them all?
I was very excited that Shinsuke won the Royal Rumble and I had to make sure I kept hold of the championship so he and I could get in the ring against each other, one-on-one, and give the WWE Universe what they want to see. I can’t tell you what will main event, but I can tell you which match is going to steal the show. You can either put Shinsuke Nakamura/AJ Styles on last or you can have that match be the one people remember, because we’re going to tear the house down. That’s what we do, we have the talent to able to do that and that’s what people are expecting. Whether or not it’s the main event, it will be a main event match.
Everyone is calling this a dream match, does this put added pressure on you to put on a show stealer in New Orleans?
I don’t know if there’s that much pressure, I know that him and I can have a great match no matter what. There’s a little bit of pressure with it being WrestleMania, but I work well under pressure so I’m not too worried about it. It’s a match I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. The expectations are a little high, and it’s going to be hard to live up to them. But if I had to pick someone from WWE to do it with it would be Shinsuke. At the end of the day we can only do what we can do; I really believe we have the opportunity to do something great for ourselves, for each other and put us on a peddle-stool so that people will see a match they will never forget.
How difficult will it be to live up to the classic that you and Shinsuke had in Japan at Wrestle Kingdom?
So many people have seen the match between Shinsuke and I in Japan, but so many haven’t. I feel like it’s not going to be a problem making it any different because we’ve only worked with each other once. I’ve worked with guys several times and had unbelievable matches every time, so I can’t imagine that this is going to be difficult for us to put on a great show.
I learned that it’s huge for one with thousands of thousands of people for one show. I guess to take it all in, don’t rush to the ring, you got to take it all in. I don’t do a lot of things right, but my first WrestleMania I took all it and that’s what I always plan to do. Sit back and just enjoy that moment for what it is. When you walk out and you see the WrestleMania signs and the see of people it’s hard to put into words.
Last year we saw you steal the show with Shane McMahon, how do you look back on that match?
Working with Shane McMahon was awesome. We gave people a match people definitely didn’t expect and I think it stole the show. I think it has a lot to do with the McMahon’s work ethic, they want everything to perfect, and they want everything to be just right. I applaud Shane McMahon’s worth ethic, I think it’s unbelievable and I’d do it all over again.
This year’s event has such a stacked card, what other matches are you looking forward to?
I think there are a lot of matches people are excited for on the card. Asuka vs. Charlotte is another big one, Roman and Brock Lesnar that’s another one. There are several matches out there, which people want to see, I think that makes it one of the most exciting WrestleMania’s that we’ve had for a long time.
Then there’s the smaller matter of Ronda Rousey’s debut. What will she bring to WWE?
She brings more eyes to what we’re doing, she’s a huge star there’s no doubt about that. She made a name for herself in MMA and now she’s crossed over to sports entertainment and that’s good for WWE, there’s no doubt about that. She’s an athlete so that means she’s going to do well in this business and I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do in the ring.
What about past WrestleMania, do you have a favourite WrestleMania moment from the past?
I’ve got to admit one of the best stories ever told was the Career vs. Streak match at WrestleMania. The story going into that and the actual match itself was just perfect. I’d like to have had an Undertaker or a Shawn Michaels one of those guys. The matches they were able to put on, not only together but also against other performers, I’d have loved that opportunity to get in the ring with them and learn.
Look past WrestleMania, there’s expected to be another Superstar shake-up between the two brands. Do you think this will be a good thing for SmackDown Live?
I think a shake-up is always a good thing. New talent coming over means new matches, that’s what we need and that’s why we have a shake-up. There are several who could come over to SmackDown or vise versa, so that’s see what happens. What we do know is that it will produce great matches that people want to see. It’s going to get very interesting from here on out.
You’re also back on tour in the UK in May. How much are you looking forward to going back, given the reaction you received after your WWE Title win in Manchester last November?
You don’t forget a reaction like that. I said on Twitter that you’d have thought that I was from Manchester from the reaction of the crowd. It’s such a great place to work, so many great fans there and I was so happy I got to win the WWE Championship in Manchester and do something that’s never been done before.
You seem to be in the best shape of your career right now. But do you have any plans for life when you hang up the boots?
When it’s all said and done I definitely think there will be some time chilling out with the family for a bit, but guys like me aren’t used to staying at home so I’d like to get back on the road. Either as an agent or a trainer of some sort, but who knows what will be available in WWE when that time comes, there maybe better jobs than that.
Finally, having made SmackDown the house that AJ built. What’s next for AJ Styles?
The next thing is building the legacy of AJ Styles and who I am and what I represent. I think that’s something I’d like to build and be proud of when I’m done.
