Allen Neal Jones[9] (born June 2, 1977),[10]best known by the ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler who is signed to WWE performing on the SmackDown brand.[6] He has long been regarded as one of the world's best professional wrestlers.[11]
Styles gained his first mainstream exposure in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001, but became widely known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) from 2002–2013, where he was dubbed "Mr. TNA".[8] While in TNA, Styles held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship twice. He was also the first holder of the X Division Championship, a title he held six times. Styles is the first professional wrestler ever to complete the TNA Triple Crown (five times) and the TNA Grand Slam (two times). In 2010, Styles became the first ever TNA-contracted wrestler to be ranked number one on the annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) PWI 500 list. He simultaneously appeared in Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2002–2006, where he became the first ROH Pure Champion. In 2014, Styles signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and won his first of two IWGP Heavyweight Championships in his debut match with the company, later becoming the leader of the Bullet Club.[12][13] He has also competed internationally on the independent circuit, winning various titles including the PWG World Championship.
Styles first appeared in WWE (then the World Wrestling Federation, or the WWF) in 2002, but turned down a developmental contract he was offered with the company. He signed a multi-year contract with WWE fourteen years later in January 2016, making his re-debut at that month's Royal Rumble. After appearing at his first WrestleMania that April, Styles headlined multiple pay-per-view events en route to winning the WWE Championship at Backlash in September, holding the title up until 2017's Royal Rumble in January. Also in 2016, both PWI and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted him "Wrestler of the Year". Since then, Styles has also won the United States Championship twice.
Between TNA, ROH, NJPW and WWE, Styles has won 26 total championships (including eight World Championships) and is the only wrestler to have held the NWA, TNA, IWGP and WWE championships.
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