"I was 12 years old" - Current WWE star says he was an AJ Styles fan growing up
Pete Dunne recently admitted that he idolized AJ Styles during his younger days.
AJ Styles has unquestionably inspired a new generation of professional wrestlers due to his eye-catching in-ring style, and he is still going strong at 44 years old. Styles is presently one of the veterans in the WWE, and many younger stars grew up idolizing the Phenomenal One.
Pete Dunne was a guest on WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, and "The Bruiserweight" revealed that he was a massive AJ Styles fan during his adolescent years.
The NXT star took to professional wrestling at the age of 12 and was initially captivated by the high-flying style of performers like AJ Styles. Pete Dunne progressed in the business and realized that he was more cut out to have a physical approach in the squared circle.
In addition to incorporating elements from several different styles worldwide, the 28-year-old's British roots also helped him evolve into a unique in-ring worker.
"I started wrestling when I was 12 years old; I was a fan of AJ Styles, people like that who were flying around the ring. Originally that's what I wanted to do, but I realized pretty quickly I was just pretty average when it comes to that stuff, and I needed to find a niche that really suited me. Also, leaning into the fact that I am British, if I could take an element of what made British wrestlers in the past successful, mixed that with the style of wrestling I really enjoyed at the time and just things I've picked up traveling around the world," stated Dunne.
AJ Styles is one of the WWE Superstars Pete Dunne wishes to face on the main roster
While Pete Dunne is still admittedly not done with his NXT run, the former UK Champion is already eyeing a few dream matches once he potentially moves to the main roster in the future.
Dunne has a lengthy list of dream opponents but specifically named Cesaro and AJ Styles.
"There's so many people up there." "Cesaro would be one, AJ Styles like I said; he was my favorite wrestler growing up," added Pete Dunne. H/t WrestlingInc
Do you like the sound of Pete Dunne vs. AJ Styles? Let us know your thoughts on the dream match in the comments section below.