"It made no sense" - Wrestling figure hits back at AJ Styles' criticism of him
AJ Styles recently went on a brief trip to Japan to face NOAH star and wrestling legend Naomichi Marufuji - a match that he won. He also took a swipe at a wrestling figure, who responded to his criticism.
For context, this took place after AJ Styles defeated Marufuji. In a post-match interview, he credited Japanese fans for always making matches great. He then took a dig at veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, stating that Japanese matches get five stars from people that "really don't matter."
On the latest episode of the Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer hit back at Styles' criticism. He said:
"AJ was trying to knock me, it made no sense what he was saying, but he tried. His thing was 'Oh this guy gives five star matches to the stuff in Japan, and it doesn't matter and nobody cares'. But when you watch the matches, it's like... there's a reason that they're better here (in Japan). And it's like... HUH? He was basically saying the fans, because of what they like, they make a match better."
AJ Styles revealed a major change he wants to see with the WWE-NOAH partnership
The Phenomenal One's trip to Japan was his first match outside of WWE in 3801 days - which translates to eight years and five months. Speaking to Tokyo Sports, Styles said he wants to see NOAH wrestlers coming to WWE and not just WWE stars traveling to Japan:
"It would be good if it wasn't just WWE wrestlers coming to NOAH, but NOAH wrestlers coming to WWE. NOAH wrestlers can learn about the American environment by going to WWE. At the same time, WWE Superstars will also learn about Japanese pro wrestling culture. I think it would be good, especially for young wrestlers," AJ Styles said via Google Translate.
Styles credited his time in Japan as a big reason for making him the star he is today. He urged young wrestlers to travel to Japan in order to become someone who people truly respect.
So far, the "forbidden door" into WWE has been mainly in NXT. Mickie James and Jordynne Grace both made appearances in the Women's Royal Rumble, but all the TNA-WWE interactions have mainly been on NXT - presumably to experiment with the idea.