With critically acclaimed matches in TNA, NJPW and WWE, AJ Styles very much lives up to his moniker of The Phenomenal One!
A TNA original, Styles helped put the promotion on the map at a time when the mainstream WWE was struggling to rebuild following the success of The Attitude Era. Following battles with the likes of Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle, Styles made his way to New Japan and continued to wow fans overseas. Winning the prestigious IWGP World Title from Kazuchika Okada, Styles became a mainstay in the company until 2016, which led to the multi-time World Champion making a shock arrival in WWE at the Royal Rumble.
Following a rivalry with WWE’s biggest star, John Cena, Styles continued to rise up the card and once again picked up the top prize in what was yet another sign that he had impressed the powers that be.
With Styles set to retire in 2026, he has left behind a legacy that only a few can rival. If you want to relive Styles’ best days, or are unfamiliar with his work, here are 10 matches that truly are phenomenal!
The Most Phenomenal AJ Styles Matches
AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels – TNA Unbreakable 2005
While at one point this was the only match in TNA history to be given a five-star rating by Dave Meltzer, the critically acclaimed triple threat match is still regarded by some fans as the best match in TNA history more than 20 years on from when it took place. Showcasing what TNA and the X-Division was all about at this time, the match was far ahead of its time with non-stop action, high flying dives and a showcase of things to come in the wrestling world.
AJ Styles vs. John Cena – WWE Crown Jewel 2025
Ok, so this match was one where both stars basically used a cheat code by hitting big moves from both of their rivals’ past, most notably Bray Wyatt’s Sister Abigail and Randy Orton’s RKO. That being said, this was easily one of the best matches on the John Cena retirement tour, and a match that many believe should have been the last one of Cena’s career with hindsight. Cena was integral in making Styles a star in WWE after The Phenomenal One had found success elsewhere, and this callback was one that many were looking froward to when it was made official. Even though the match itself didn’t have a direct story, the history alone mae this one something special.
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10
When Shinsuke Nakamura won the Royal Rumble in 2018 and chose AJ Styles as his WrestleMania opponent, it was their previous clash in 2016 that got fans excited for what was to come. Regarded as the best match in either man’s career, this match had everything fans wanted, storytelling, action, and nuances that brought the match to a new level. When Nakamura caught and bit Styles’ imaginary bullet, the crowd knew it was going to be a special night. Although it was Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi who had the match of the night afterwards in the main event, Styles and Nakamura ended their NJPW careers with a hard act to follow. Unfortunately, Styles and Nakamura were unable to make the same magic in WWE, but their New Japan clash will be remembered for decades.
Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles – WWE Backlash 2024
Sometimes a crowd can elevate a match from good to an all-time, with The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18 being the greatest example of this. When Styles was introduced by Samantha Irvin at Backlash 2024 in Lyon France, the fans erupted into a chorus of “Il est vraiment phénomenal” that was so loud that the camera started shaking. Much like the Roman Reigns match in 2016, Styles once again played the role of perfect first challenger after Rhodes triumphed at WrestleMania 40, and gave The American Nightmare a strong start in his year-long reign. Make no mistake the match would have been great anywhere in the world, but there is something about Styles in France that elevates things further.
AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels – TNA Against All Odds 2005
Prior to that triple threat match at Unbreakable, Styles and Daniels battled it out over the X-Division Championship in an Iron Man match. With both men scoring a fall a piece when the time limit expired, Daniels drawing first blood at the halfway point and Styles evening things up with just 5 minutes to go, this was more than a spot fest, this was both men proving who was the top star in the division. Styles won the match in overtime in an Iron Man match that should be talked about a lot more.
AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe – TNA Turning Point 2005
Any combination of Styles, Daniels and Joe always produced the match of the night during 2005 TNA, arguably the best year of the promotion. Although Styles was able to walk out the winner at Unbreakable and at Against All Odds, The Phenomenal One was no match for The Samoan Submission Machine, who defeated Styles to win the X-Division Championship. Styles hit Joe with everything in this one, but was ultimately put to sleep to bring his title reign to an end.
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor – WWE TLC 2017
The best match of AJ Styles’ career that wasn’t supposed to happen. WWE TLC 2017 saw multiple changes to the card as Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt were not cleared to compete. For Balor, who was set to face Wyatt, WWE needed to make good with their choice of replacement. Flying Styles in on incredibly short notice, both men were tasked with giving fans a match to remember despite the fact they had little history in WWE at that point. However, the former Bullet Club leaders gave the fans something to remember with their performance, and a match that surpassed what was originally advertised.
AJ Styles vs. Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 2015
Unsurprisingly, when the best wrestler from Japan faced the best wrestler from the United States, the match was something special. Although Styles was predominantly known as the babyface in big matches prior to this, the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion played the heel in this one as he tried to overcome The Rainmaker a second time after defeating Okada the year before. Following a series of quick counters, Okada hit The Rainmaker to once again stand tall in New Japan.
AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki – NJPW G1 Climax 2014
A styles clash both figuratively and literally, as the high-flying Styles looked to overcome the hard-hitting offence of the man nicknamed “Murder Grandpa.” This was the first and only time that the two faced off, and Styles quickly found out that Suzuki was unlike anyone he had faced before. Although Styles was hit hard, he did emerge the victor in what was also the only time he won the match of the year award in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards.
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE TLC 2018
Much like Okada, Daniels, Joe and Cena, Styles was able to make magic with Daniel Bryan. Although some of the best wrestlers in the world were signed to the company in 2018, creative was not exactly at an all-time high. Keep in mind this was the company that managed to screw up the open goal that was Styles vs. Nakamura, revisiting their epic New Japan rivalry. However, Byran stole the WWE title away from Styles on SmackDown after hitting a phenomenal low blow. Following a loss to Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, Bryan and Styles picked things up at TLC. Although both men are capable of pulling off innovative spot and have inspired the next generation, heel Bryan won the match with a roll up, which fit his character perfectly.
Featured image: WWE
