5 dream cross-promotional opponents for AJ Styles
A 23-year veteran, AJ Styles is already a member of the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame and has earned many of the genre's biggest accolades. He's also universally recognized as one of the best in-ring performers of his generation.
During his decorated career, Styles has worked for the biggest promotions around the world and has a shared history with some of the biggest names in the industry. If he were to ever leave WWE, there would be no shortage of suitors for The Phenomenal One.
With that being said, here are five dream cross-promotional opponents for AJ Styles
#5. AJ Styles vs. Jay White
Despite making his name with Impact Wrestling, AJ Styles cemented himself as one of the hottest commodities in professional wrestling when he returned to NJPW and joined the Bullet Club. By this point in his career, Styles had managed to marry his expansive moveset with sound in-ring psychology.
The Phenomenal One put on classic matches with the likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura, winning the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award from 2014 to 2016.
Since he's always going to be synonymous with the Bullet Club, a match between AJ Styles and Jay White, one of the current leaders of the group, would be a tasty proposition. White has come a long way in recent years and is now an NJPW mainstay. He could more than hold his own with Styles inside the ring.
#4. AJ Styles vs. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson and AJ Styles feuded over the WWE Championship in 2018 when they were both part of SmackDown. Danielson turned heel and defeated Styles to win the WWE Championship before the duo had rematches at TLC and the Royal Rumble.
As you would expect, the matches between Danielson and Styles were nothing short of spectacular. The two virtuosos would undoubtedly surpass the high standards they set if they could wrestle each other without the constraints of a WWE environment.
Now that he's resumed his identity as The American Dragon, Danielson isn't playing his PG-friendly WWE character. He's rougher around the edges, and his matches contain a level of physicality that would truly test Styles.