The following is a summary of tonight’s new Stone Cold Podcast on WWE Network, featuring AJ Styles talking to Stone Cold Steve Austin:
Austin talks about Styles’ promo on John Cena on tonight’s RAW, followed by an attack, and asks about fitting in with WWE. Styles says he wasn’t sure about the response he would get, but he’s happy and keeps working hard to prove he deserves the spot he’s in. Austin talks about Styles’ world travels and Styles says his dad was a Marine, and talks about being disciplined too much due to his father’s drinking. Styles says his father going overboard and beating him definitely affects how he raises his own family, but says he still knew his dad loved him and supported him.
Austin talks about Styles’ faith and upbringing, noting that he didn’t finish school and went back to work, and just knew he’d marry his girlfriend. He says he didn’t really have a plan after dropping out of school, but some of his friends ended up getting him into the wrestling business. He talks a little about influences in his move set, noting he wasn’t afraid of being a high flier. Styles noted Terry Taylor and Lance Storm as early influences, but said Shawn Michaels was another one later on due to how well Shawn made little things matter in storytelling.
Styles talks about getting signed to WCW and later having the company go out of business, and Austin asks what happened. Styles says John Laurinaitis signed him to WCW and told him WWE wouldn’t pick up his deal, so it was a bit of a blow. He says he never would have made it because he wasn’t ready then, so his planned then turned to going to Japan. Styles says from there, he met Christopher Daniels and they worked so well together that he credits working with him to help his career take off. Styles says WWE then called back and offered a developmental deal but he said no because he didn’t want to interrupt ask his wife to leave college and move.
Austin brings up TNA and Styles says he was there for a long time and he signed one of the first deals there, and he had some amazing matches with Low Ki and Jerry Lynn. Styles says he didn’t put much thought into it, but Panda Energy came in and then it started to feel really big. Austin asks his thoughts on Dixie Carter buying the company, and Styles says things really started to pick up after this, noting the signings of Samoa Joe, Christian and Kurt Angle as where things blew up.
Austin asks if the TNA stars ever thought they could be competition for WWE, and Styles says that was the goal. Austin asks if Styles ever felt like he played second fiddle to some of the bigger name signings in TNA, and Styles says he did for a bit. He says he knows you can’t be at the top all of the time, but it’s up to you to work back to that top spot. Austin also asks about the six sided ring, and Styles says he always did and still believes different is good, and that ring set them apart, but working in a square ring is like paradise, citing a story about taking suplexes from Kurt Angle.
Austin asks about who the “Phenomenal One” is, and Styles says he is the guy that thinks he can pull off anything at anytime, and he’s having fun and Austin says he loves to hear that. He asks why Styles left TNA, and Styles says he was asked to take a paycut which he thought was unfair, and he bet on himself and knew he could go to Ring of Honor and New Japan and prove his worth. They talk about the differences between Japanese and American wrestling crowds, and Styles says the crowds in Japan are quieter, but the wrestling is the same. Styles leads to the story about joining Bullet Club, saying he started right at the top and it followed Finn Balor leaving the group for NXT.
