Johnny Gargano has a lot of respect for AJ Styles.
During one of his Twitch streams, Johnny Gargano was talking about the legendary status of the ‘Phenomenal’ AJ Styles, Gargano has been able to wrestle Styles over the years and says that he’s remained the most consistent in between the ropes throughout his career in pro wrestling.
“I can’t say enough good things about AJ Styles. He’s probably the best wrestler of our generation. AJ Styles was the first independent wrestler that I loved,” he recalls. “I had a hood on my entrance gear when I had my very first match because of AJ Styles. I loved AJ and TNA and I’m talking back in the NWA TNA days, ROH days, and things like that. AJ Styles is my guy. He was my first non-WWE, non-WCW, non-ECW guy that I really loved just from his independent work.”
Gargano reflected on being 18 years old when he got to wrestle Styles for the first time, you can read the full quote below.
“So, I got the chance to wrestle AJ when I was 18 years old. He was my favorite wrestler at the time and I got the chance to wrestle him. He brought it. He was so amazing. I learned so much from that match at a very early age,” says Gargano. “I wrestled him again right before he signed with WWE years later and now, I wrestled him again in WWE on that live event in France. He’s still as great as he was when I wrestled him when I was 18 years old. AJ Styles is definitely one of a kind. I firmly do believe that wrestling wouldn’t be what it is today without AJ. AJ is literally, like, you talk about GOATS? AJ is one of the GOATs and he’s a great guy in the locker room.
“I remember he treated me with so much kindness and he treated me like an equal when I was 18 years old and he had no reason to do that,” continued Johnny. “He was hot in TNA at that time, so he definitely could have just big-leagued me and he never did it, he just gave me a great match. That’s something I never forgot and just seeing how he treats people, too, in the locker room, he’s a definition of a locker room leader and wrestling as a whole is very lucky to have AJ.”
Styles recently faked his retirement before attacking the current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
h/t to Fightful for the transcription.
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