As AJ Styles transitions from being an active wrestler to his new backstage role, it seems he’ll be spending a great deal of time imparting wisdom onto the next generation of performers. Speaking on his new “Phenomenally Retro” podcast, Styles revealed one of the first pieces of advice he shares, especially to those who enter WWE from a collegiate athlete background.
“The only thing that I would say to [the] NIL group of guys are girls – watch pro wrestling,” Styles said. “Not just the current stuff, but the older stuff. Go back, find the libraries and watch them all, and know your history. Because you’ll find stuff in there that not a lot of people do anymore. And so what is old is new again, right? Because it’s not being done.”
The recently-retired WWE star believes that the NIL recruits typically have to work a little harder than their counterparts that get their start in the independent scene. That’s because the indie wrestlers have already been dedicating their lives to this industry, while collegiate athletes usually have to jump into an entirely new world after devoting all their time to their previous sport.
Nonetheless, Styles said plenty of NIL talent have proven that they can overcome that challenge. The former world champion just believes it takes some extra work.
Styles also explained the importance of WWE recruiting young talent rather than just waiting for new stars to steadily rise through the ranks of the independent scene. He believes the existence of AEW has made it more important for WWE to act fast when it comes to building a constantly-evolving roster.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Phenomenally Retro” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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