The power of a Tiger.
The speed of a Gazelle.
The heart of a Lion and the resiliency of a Phoenix.
There is no denying the impact AJ Styles has had on the wrestling business, but it was a fairytale career that almost didn't play out.
In the beginning
Growing up in Gainesville, Georgia, Allen Jones never knew of the world of professional wrestling. Unlike many of today's stars, he couldn't play out what he say on the screen with his brothers, he couldn't go to the shows and cheer on the performers. His family could not afford cable television.
He lived a simple life, which makes his journey to the top even more spectacular.
His first taste of wrestling came when he won a partial wrestling scholarship to Anderson College, South Carolina. It was here that he was able to hone his natural athletic ability into the art of amateur wrestling.
At the end of his college tenure in 1996, AJ began to pursue a career in professional wrestling, holding down multiple jobs to earn enough money to pay for the training, to fulfill his dream on his own merit.
He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and showed this the entire length of his journey. He was willing to work to get into the business.
The next step
AJ's first step into the professional wrestling world was at NWA Wildside, being packaged as "The Russian Bricklayer" Olaf.
Although this wasn't a successful gimmick, his determination and heart caught the eye of the NWA trainers, who taught him the tools of the trade to make it big.
It was after the merge of NWA Wildside and the Georgia-based National Championship Wrestling that he adopted the AJ Styles name as his own.
His natural talent and charisma made him an instant hit with the fans, making him one of the biggest stars on the Indy circuit.
His popularity also gave him success, with him winning the NWA Television championship three times before he left the promotion.
It was during this time that he became a well known star, with promoters regularly attempting to sign contracts with him, but he always refused.
It was in the latter part of his tenure that he engaged in some of his more notable feuds with the likes of Paul London, Ron Killings, and Air Paris, his eventual tag team partner.
Moving up the ladder
AJ's unique style was able to catch the attention of another major promotion: WCW.
Shortly after his departure from NWA, he began to perform in WCW as part of the tag team "Air Raid." This led to him adopting the new moniker of "Air Styles," both a reference to the team and his high-flying ability.
His team, comprising of himself and fellow NWA alumni Paris, became a staple in the tag team division, mostly used as enhancement talent for more established partnerships.
However, the takeover of WCW by WWE meant that AJ never really got the chance to show his worth on a larger stage, as he was released from contract by the company.
WWE stepped in and offered AJ a developmental contract with the promotion, but he turned it down on the basis of not wanting to move away from his wife's town and college. Instead, he went back to NWA, where he achieved huge success.
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