WWE Royal Rumble: Charting AJ Styles' superb debut year in WWE
From debuting at the Rumble to winning the WWE World Title...
By David Ruse
Last Updated: 23/01/17 4:36pm
AJ Styles made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble – and has not looked back since.
In the space of a year, The Phenomenal One has beaten future WWE Hall of Famers, competed at WrestleMania, and scooped the WWE Title.
As Styles prepares to defend his championship against John Cena at the 2017 Royal Rumble – live on Sky Sports Box Office on Sunday night – take a look at how his stellar first WWE year has panned out…
The debut
Having spent pretty much all of his career on the independent scene in the United States or wrestling in Japan - Styles' only WWE output had been a defeat to The Hurricane on Jakked in January 2002 and a non-televised reverse against Rico the same month - there were doubts over whether he would ever ink a deal with Vince McMahon's company. WWE fans' fears were allayed when Styles made a shock bow as the third entrant in the Royal Rumble, stunning Roman Reigns, who had just dumped Rusev to the mat. Styles went on to eliminate Curtis Axel and Tyler Breeze and last almost 29 minutes before Kevin Owens ended his involvement.
The first feud
Styles' maiden singles match in WWE came the next night - and became the first instalment in a two-and-a-half month rivalry with Chris Jericho. Styles downed Jericho on Raw with a sunset flip, Y2J equalised on an episode of Smackdown after nailing a Codebreaker and Styles won at Fastlane with a Calf Crusher. Jericho, initially dubious of Styles' credentials, voiced his respect for his opponent after Fastlane, leading to the two forming a short-lived tag team named Y2AJ. Short-lived because Jericho turned on Styles after they had failed to win the Tag Team Titles from The New Day. The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla would proceed to pin Styles at WrestleMania.
The title tilts
Styles' frustrations at losing at WWE's biggest event were eased 24 hours later as he overcame Jericho, Owens and Cesaro in a Fatal Four-Way to become No 1 contender to Roman Reigns' WWE World Championship. However, The Phenomenal One's pursuit of gold was unsuccessful - he lost to Reigns at Payback despite administering a Phenomenal Forearm and a 450 Splash and was then beaten at Extreme Rules as Reigns clobbered him with a mid-air spear. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, Styles' former friends in the Bullet Club - a stable established by Finn Balor in Japan - interfered in both of their pal's championship matches but to no avail.
The Club
Styles had steadfastly stated that Anderson and Gallows' dastardly acts had nothing to do with him - but he enjoyed their assistance when ruining Cena's return to Raw in May. Styles attacked Cena from behind as the 15-time world champion's gaze was fixed on Anderson and Gallows, leading to a singles match between the pair at Money in the Bank, which Styles won after Anderson and Gallows executed a Magic Killer on Cena while the referee was floored. Cena gained a modicum of revenge at Battleground while teaming with Big Cass and Enzo Amore against The Club, pinning Styles after blasting him with an Attitude Adjustment off the second rope.
The big win
Styles' penchant for assaulting Cena saw the hashtag #BeatUpJohnCena start trending, and that's exactly what he did at SummerSlam. In the standout match of the night - just pipping the Universal Title scuffle between Balor and Seth Rollins - Styles shook off two Attitude Adjustments, including one from the top rope, to lash Cena with his trademark Styles Clash and Phenomenal Forearm moves and edge a near 25-minute classic, without the help of Anderson and Gallows. Styles' eye-catching triumph gave Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan no choice but to name him as No 1 contender to the WWE Title.
The title triumphs
Styles came up just short while trying to prise the WWE Title from Reigns in the spring, but had no such difficulty when he battled another former Shield Superstar, Dean Ambrose at Backlash, in September. Styles did, though, resort to nefarious tactics to win the belt – booting The Lunatic Fringe in the crotch while the referee was down. The 39-year-old hasn't been above using dodgy methods to retain his prize either, including when he got himself intentionally disqualified while defending the belt against James Ellsworth, a man who would go on to help him beat Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match at the TLC event in December.
WWE Royal Rumble booking details
WWE Royal Rumble will be shown live on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) and Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 492) from midnight Monday, January 30.
The pay-per-view will cost £19.95 for viewers in the United Kingdom and €24.95 for customers in the Republic of Ireland.
WWE Royal Rumble will repeated on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) BUT NOT Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 492) between 10am on Monday, January 30 and 8pm on Thursday, February 2 - 8pm is the start of the final playout.
A live blog of WWE Royal Rumble will run on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app during the event, featuring text commentary, social media and short highlight clips.
You can order the show by visiting this link: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/?DCMP=WWERoyalRumble
You can also book the event over the phone: UK viewers should call 03442 410 888, while customers in the Republic of Ireland should call 0818 220 225. (There may be an additional charge for telephone bookings).
You will also be able to order the show via your Sky remote nearer the event:
Sky+: Press the box office button on your remote, then click the sports tab followed by WWE Royal Rumble.
Sky Q: Press Home on your Sky Q remote, select TV guide, then Box Office and then WWE Royal Rumble. Enter your TV Pin if prompted. (Only bookings via Sky TV remote are recordable using Sky Plus).
Sky TV residential customers only. Commercial customers contact Sky for price and to order. Sky Box Office terms apply. Cable customers should contact their local cable operator.
