AJ Styles went to war in Japan against Naomichi Marufuji at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination 2024.
The WWE Superstar scored the hard-fought victory over Marufuji with the Styles Clash after an epic match that went almost 30 minutes.
Following the match, Styles cut a promo reflecting on stepping into the ring with Marufuji and gave him high praise that he’s the only other wrestler on the planet who can call themselves phenomenal.
“Marufuji, every man that I knew he was,” AJ Styles said. “A talented professional wrestler. If I could beat him, then I’ve beaten one of the best, and I needed to prove that to myself. I’ve lost against the best, and I’ve won against the best. And one of the best tonight was Marufuji. Excellent wrestler.
“If anybody else could call themselves phenomenal besides AJ Styles, it is Marufuji. He gave me everything that I wanted in a match and more. He’s a class above the rest. And I think a lot of his experience paid off tonight because he took me to the edge. He made it very difficult tonight. I was struggling out there, I won’t lie to you. One of Japanese finest was in the ring with AJ Styles tonight.”
Fans make the matches in Japan, not the wrestlers
When asked what he thinks of the Japanese style of wrestling, Styles took the opportunity to take a shot at the star ratings many people give out in the industry.
“There’s a reason that a lot of Japanese matches get five-star ratings from people that really don’t matter,” AJ Styles said. “But when you watch it back, you understand because it’s always the fans that make the match. It’s not the wrestlers, we’re just there. And the fans always, always make the best matches.
“The Japanese fans are one, if not the best in the world. If you wanna experience what it’s like to be respected as a professional wrestler, come to Japan. They understand what it takes to get to where we’re at and I have nothing but appreciation for the Japanese fans.”
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What do you make of AJ Styles’ comments? Did you catch his match with Naomichi Marufuji in Pro Wrestling NOAH? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit NOAH with a link to this article for the transcription.
