WWE loves to throw a party and there will be a big one Monday night with the "Raw Reunion" show airing live on USA Network beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
It's being dubbed the "largest reunion in 'Raw history" with more than three dozen legends set to appear, including "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan.
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Of course, the current WWE Superstars will be there for the three-hour show as well, including the current United States champion AJ Styles. Earlier this year, he moved to the red brand after spending nearly three years on "SmackDown" and making it, as he called it, "The house that AJ Styles built," as the brand's top star including a 371-day run as the WWE champion.
Now the phenomenal (pun intended) star is looking to do the same on "Raw" and he's back with a couple of his best friends to reform The Club.
That being said, the Gainesville, GA. native spoke with Sporting News a few hours before the July 22 "Raw Reunion" about moving to the red brand, getting The Club back together, who he would like to face in the near future, and why he chose to finish out his in-ring career in the WWE.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
SPORTING NEWS: WWE has its "Raw Reunion" tonight and a lot of Hall of Famers and legends are going to be there. Anybody in particular that you're looking forward to seeing?
AJ STYLES: I didn't catch the list of who all is going to be here, but I'm looking forward to seeing everybody that I used to watch back in the day. A couple of guys that I used to work with at the other Orlando place down there (Impact Wrestling) that I'm sure will be coming around, I'll be looking forward to catching up with those guys.
SN: Do you still get excited and big eyes when a bunch of legends are at the show?
AJ: Well, I've had the opportunity to meet these guys and get real familiar with them, so it's very seldom that I get like 'Whoa' because I've met these guys before. Being in the business for over 20 years, you start to meet everybody in it. Everybody is so great to be around and it's a pleasure.
SN: Since you have been doing this for over 20 years, some guys in the locker room like to pick the mind of others who have a lot of experience like yourself. Are a lot of guys coming to you asking questions?
AJ: Sometimes they do. I try to watch matches and give them my little two cents. I feel like when you're helping someone else or giving encouragement or constructive criticism, that you need to not blast them in the face with a bunch of stuff. Give them one or two [things], so they can work on the one or two because when you get hit with a bunch of information, it's really hard to retain all of it.
If you just give them one or two things, and most importantly, encourage them and make sure they know all that they're doing right too — You can't just blast them in the face with negativity. Build them up, let them know what you think, what your opinion is — it's not a fact — of how they can get better and give them the opportunity to work on it the next time. That's how I got better. I didn't learn it all at once.
SN: When it comes to being a locker leader, Seth Rollins has really attached himself to that role considering his experience and tenure with WWE. He recently came out on social media and was calling out some fans for their negativity toward WWE. What was your reaction to his comments?
I stand firm in my sentiments that @WWE is the best pro wrestling on the planet and that I’m the best of the best doing it right now. After a helluva week of travel, our crew didn’t waver for a second. Top level humans busting their asses for the love of the game.
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) July 2, 2019
AJ: I totally understand where he's coming from. We're out there doing trying our best to entertain everyone to the best of our ability. It's not easy to do that and then you want to be arm-chair quarterbacks. Hindsight sucks. Everybody wants to do that. You can't do that.
If they were so good at what they've done, and I know you've heard this before, if these guys who want to criticize wrestling were so good at what they do, they'd have a job in the wrestling business. But they don't. They rely on what someone else has said and whether or not they agree with that. They pick and choose what they like. You can't do that. Either you enjoy it or you don't. Regardless, you're making a show about it weekly, so something must be going right. Somebody is doing something right.
We want to entertain. We want to do our best, so it's aggravating when not only do we know some things don't go the way that we like, then we have to hear it from somebody else.
SN: You finally got The Club got back together and are working with your buddies Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows again. How long have you been trying to make that happen?
AJ: I've been seeking that for a while now. It's just one of those things where I know how talented these guys are and the chemistry we have together. It's unbelievable. That's why we did so well in Japan because you have six guys — more than that, by the time I was out of there that enjoyed being together. We hung out. We're actually friends and to this very day we hang out. We don't have to ride with each other, but we do. We enjoy being together. You can't teach chemistry and to have us together again, man, it's awesome. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
SN: There has been a lot of speculation when you first came to WWE with those guys and again now that you're back together if there could be other people joining The Club and the name that always comes up is Finn Balor. Would you like to see that happen?
AJ: Of course, but with Finn Balor being on "SmackDown" and we're on "Raw" and on top of that, he's a babyface. We're not exactly likable right now. Maybe that's not something that's going to work. There's a time and a place and hopefully that will work out in the end.
The O.C.
— Karl Anderson (@KarlAndersonWWE) July 17, 2019
The.....
Official
Original
Only Club that matters..@AJStylesOrg @LukeGallowsWWE @WWE @WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/DrChqB3A98
SN: You've taken on a more aggressive style and are more of a heel now. What it's like to make that turn and show that side again?
AJ: I think change is good. We have to build Superstars and that's what we're trying to do. The best way to build a Superstar is you have to have good heels to do it. I think Anderson and Gallows and myself are more than capable of helping build Superstars. I'm not saying that we'll always be the bad guys, but for right now, that is what is needed.
SN: You moved back to "Raw" a few months ago. Has it been different and did you want to make the move?
AJ: I don't think it's any different for me. Yeah, there's an extra hour but, then again, we had "205 Live" (after SmackDown), so it was always pretty much the same. I think it was a good change for me. Being on "SmackDown" for almost three years, it was time for me to move. It was time for me to do something different. It was time for me to go to the red brand.
SN: WWE recently made some news with Paul Heyman being named the Executive Director of "Raw." What do you expect him to do with "Raw" moving forward?
AJ: I've always been a fan of Paul Heyman. This guy is the mastermind that can take performers and hide their weaknesses and exploit their strengths. It's just unbelievable how good he is at this. To have that guy helping out on "Raw," I'm excited. I think everyone's excited. I think when you see, since he started helping out, how much has changed it's all positive at this point and I'm looking forward to working with him more.
SN: You announced earlier this year that you've signed a new deal with WWE. Was that an easy decision to make? Was there any thought of looking elsewhere?
AJ: Sure there was. This is my job. This is what I do for a living. I knew that the next contract that I will sign will be my last. I'm getting older and I don't want to embarrass myself if I don't have to. That's why it was important that I made the right decision and I did. I definitely, 100 percent made the right decision in staying with WWE. They've taken care of me since I've been here. They've shown me nothing but respect, so it worked out.
SN: Anderson and Gallows are going to be hanging around as well and they've also signed new contracts. Did you try to convince them to stay and maybe say 'Stick around, we can do some good things together?'
AJ: Well, that was my plan and that plan wasn't coming to a point. It was just one of those things that seemed like — we had a couple of guys behind us, helping us convince others that this was a good idea that Anderson and Gallows and myself are back together again. There was talk about maybe them going somewhere else, but at the end of the day, it all worked out the way it was supposed to and I can't be happier.
SN: What do you like the best from that dynamic in working with a group alongside Anderson and Gallows compared to you being a singles wrestler?
AJ: I think what I like about it the most is, again, we know each other so well. We don't have to talk about what to do next. We already know. We have an idea. We kind of read each other's minds at this point. How can you not love that? It's just easy. That's why I wanted to get back together with those guys so badly and I know the quality of entertainment we're able to put on together.
— AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) July 17, 2019
SN: There has been a little bit of a back and forth between you and Adam Cole about Undisputed Era (who are currently a part of NXT). Is that something you would like to see?
AJ: Bring 'em up! Whatever we gotta do to get eyes on our television, that's what we need to do. I would love that. I know those guys. I know them very well. So, let's do this. But it's got to be timed right. I can't just be out of nowhere. You want people to come see it, so the timing is everything. You just don't want to throw it out there.
