AJ Styles Reveals The Worst Bump He's Endured During His Career

AJ Styles recently took to his Twitch channel to speak with fans, and during the stream, he recalled the worst bump he has ever taken in his career. He said this particular one was during his time in TNA, during a match with D-Lo Brown where Brown leaped from a ladder and drove Styles through a table with his signature Frog Splash. Styles recalled that it actually knocked him out for a moment.

"I was talking about this the other night, and I actually had forgotten about it until someone brought the match up," Styles said. "The guy had said, 'I remember your match with D-Lo Brown in TNA where he Frog Splashed you from off a ladder and put you through a table.' It made me remember laying there and seeing D-Lo jump off the ladder, and then it just went blank. I don't remember anything else until I came to and was just laying there.

"I just remember being in like a dream state," Styles added. "I remember telling myself like, 'You got to get up!' It was weird. I got up and everything was ok to finish the match. I don't remember bumping my head or having a knot, and I don't know if it was just the impact knocking the breath out of me and losing consciousness for a second. I don't know what happened, because I remember what we were supposed to do and everything. D-Lo was probably 250 at the time, coming from an 8 foot ladder to the outside, so that's probably at least 10 foot for a big man coming down to the floor. That was not fun. It wasn't a concussion though; I think it just knocked the breath out of me or something."

Styles made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble. During his conversation, he recalled the original plan was to be eliminated by Edge and Randy Orton simultaneously. He also went in to how his offer with the company came about, and how he told New Japan Pro Wrestling that he was leaving their promotion.

"It was actually supposed to be Edge and Orton at the same time," Styles said. "Obviously, it didn't happen that way and I only got one of them... I believe [negotiations happened] in November [2015] – maybe the end of November. I had the chance to talk to Triple H, finally. It was a great conversation and he ended up telling me in the next week or two that they wanted me.

"I actually had to go over to Japan to do Wrestle Kingdom right after Christmas," Styles continued. "It was then that I told them. And despite what you guys think, contracts were not a big thing over there. It was actually more of a handshake deal, and you honored that handshake. There's nothing wrong with that. Problem was, if I wanted to leave, I could. I kind of let them know that. And this was me, Gallows and Anderson, so that was tough.

"We already knew that Shinsuke [Nakamura] was on his way out. I had to let them know, and I gave them time. They wanted me to win the – I forget what it's called, but it's basically the Intercontinental Championship of New Japan. But anyway, I couldn't do that because I was leaving, and they told me I was signing a contract and that's not how it works.

"Literally, I flew home from Japan and ate dinner with my family, and flew out that same night," Styles added. "I flew to Pittsburgh to do all my testing to go to work for WWE. That's how quick it was. Then, boom boom, I was at the Royal Rumble. It was that quick."

Styles also addressed a fan that had asked when he thinks the fans will be allowed in attendance. WWE has not held an event with a live audience since March, and Styles said he originally thought it wouldn't be until next year, but said there's hope to have fans in attendance as early as November.

"It makes me think that there's hope for November," Styles said. "It really does. Then again, I also thought we wouldn't until 2021. We'll see. I don't know."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please give a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.