Why AJ Styles Wishes More Talent Would Come To WWE
Heading into WWE WrestleMania 40 in just over two weeks, it's safe to say the company has a lot of creative momentum. Despite dealing with some major scandals in 2024, the return of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has helped put the company in a good position ahead of the first WrestleMania without Vince McMahon. Additionally, early 2025 will see "WWE Raw" move to Netflix.
Despite this momentum, WWE has lost out on some major signings as of late. Speaking on the "Battleground Podcast," AJ Styles shared his hope that more free agents will see the benefits of the new era in WWE.
"I wish more guys, who I think would do well in WWE, who may have been afraid as far as past things [that] have happened with Vince [McMahon] being there — I wish that they would understand that WWE is in this for the long run," Styles said. "We're talking about 10 years on Netflix, possibly 20 years. That's a long time. We're not going anywhere."
Styles acknowledged that, in the past, WWE releasing talent from their contracts has resulted in a great deal of heartache. It's something that Styles never understood, and the former WWE Champion believes it will no longer be a regular occurrence.
A New WWE?
According to Styles, the current atmosphere in WWE means that performers will be able to keep their jobs for longer stretches of time. On top of that, the company is continuing to expand its global reach and is bigger than ever before, which could be appealing to those hoping to increase their worldwide star power.
"This isn't the same WWE that Vince was in charge of," Styles continued. "I really believe that Triple H looks at our talent and goes, 'Alright, let's get them better, or let's find ways to bring out the best in them rather than show off the worst.'"
In March alone, three significant signings made their official AEW roster debuts — Mercedes Mone, Kazuchika Okada, and Will Ospreay. Each individual was said to have had contact with WWE but opted to sign with the rival promotion instead.
Styles feels that the security of the Netflix deal, as well as the new leadership under Paul "Triple H" Levesque, should be enough to convince some major names to join the company. Only time will tell how successful WWE is when it comes to attracting new talent, but it's safe to say they have plenty of resources at their disposal.