During his podcast on AdFreeShows.com, Kurt Angle commented on AJ Styles’ debut with WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble PPV:
“The gauge was when he came out at the Royal Rumble, and the fans were so excited it was AJ Styles. You know, a lot of WWE fans feel like, or a lot of WWE personalities don’t think that WWE fans watch TNA Wrestling. I think they do because they knew exactly who AJ was, and I think Vince saw the reactions and went, ‘Wow, this guy is a star already.’ He hasn’t even been here, you know, this is his first day, and he’s a star. I think that he had to build a name for himself, and he did it right. It’s a shame that AJ ends up in the WWE when he is in his 40s.”
“You know Vince, I was told, Vince, when he met up with AJ after AJ won the world title, Vince went to him and said, ‘I wish I would have hired you ten years ago, and that is that. That tells you exactly how Vince feels about AJ. AJ is a star. He is, you know, when he came in the WWE, at that particular time, he was the #1 top best wrestler in the world. The best performer. Just from a wrestling standpoint, he was the top guy.”
(quotes courtesy of Sportskeeda.com)
