Add as a preferred source on Google AJ Styles has once again addressed a topic that often sparks debate among WWE fans: the real importance of wins and losses in pro wrestling.
The “Phenomenal One” was asked on a recent episode of his podcast about how booking affects the audience’s perception, especially when a wrestler spends long stretches outside the company’s main spotlight.
Styles said that, in many cases, the wrestler is not exactly the story of the match, but only a piece of it. Because of that, in his view, the result on its own is not always something fans will remember.
“Sometimes you’re not the story of the match, you’re just in it. To be honest, probably nobody would remember whether I won or lost unless someone had written it down somewhere. That’s not that important. Wrestlers win and lose all the time. What matters is serving the story. This is pure entertainment, it’s not UFC.”
The WWE Hall of Famer also explained that his mindset changed over the years. According to him, the goal stopped being simply chasing the world title and became helping the product, including younger talent.
Styles said that when he did not have a better idea for a creative situation, he preferred to simply do his job. To him, fans were always more concerned about his win-loss record than he was himself.
Styles ended his in-ring career at this year’s Royal Rumble after losing to Gunther in a career-on-the-line match. Since then, he has moved into new roles in WWE, including work at the Performance Center and talent scouting.