AJ Styles made it clear he never lost sleep when it came to his win-loss record in WWE, and he’s now explained why.
While speaking on his Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles was asked whether booking affects how fans perceive wrestlers, especially when someone like him or Finn Balor goes long stretches without major premium live event singles wins. AJ said fans may remember the feeling of a story more than the actual result of every match.
“Well, if you’re not the story, sometimes you’re not the story in the match—you’re just in the match. And to tell you the truth, you probably wouldn’t remember whether or not a win or loss happened unless somebody went through and wrote it all down, because it’s not that important. Guys win and lose all the time.”
Styles explained that the result only matters if it serves the story. He said wrestling is entertainment, not a legitimate sports league like UFC, so he does not look at wins and losses the same way fans sometimes do.
“So it’s best served where it’s at in the story—that’s what means the most to me. I could care less about wins and losses. They don’t mean anything. This is a show. This is pure entertainment. This isn’t the UFC—that’s the biggest difference.”
AJ also said his mindset changed as he got older. He no longer sees his job as chasing world titles, but as helping the show and getting other talent over when needed.
“And definitely, the older I got, my job wasn’t to be the heavyweight champion of the world. Some people want that, some people need that—I didn’t. My job was to make sure I get the younger talent over as well, if I could. And if they were older, who cares? I had a job to do.”
Styles made it clear that unless he has a better creative idea, he believes the best thing to do is simply his job. He said fans may care more about his win-loss record than he does.
“Unless I had a better idea of how to do it, then there’s no point in saying anything—do your job. I’m not as concerned about that as much as the fans were. So you’ve got to take that in a way of pure entertainment.”
AJ then compared wrestling to watching a television show, saying performers do not get extra money just because they win a match: “This is entertainment. You’re not going to the pay window and getting paid more for a win. It’s not the same—you’re watching a TV show.”
He added that if the story is about AJ Styles getting frustrated, then that can be part of the show. However, he said wrestlers usually understand where things are going and may only suggest changes if they think it helps the next step.
“Well, if the story is me, AJ Styles, getting frustrated—okay—but guys, I know what’s going on. I mean, I’m sure there are some times like, ‘Man, hey guys, I’ve lost this and this and this—what if we did this and it’s a count-out, nobody wins, nobody loses, just because the next week we’re going here?’”
The WWE Hall of Famer said that kind of suggestion is not about ego, but about finding a better way to serve the story: “Again, it’s me coming up with something maybe a little bit better than what we have based on where we’re going.”
AJ’s point was simple: wrestling wins and losses matter when the story makes them matter. For him, the bigger goal is putting on the best show possible, helping talent when needed, and making sure the audience stays invested.
What do you think about AJ Styles’ take on wins and losses in WWE? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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