Recently there’s been a debate within the wrestling community as a whole regarding AJ Styles’ finishing move; the Styles Clash, so I thought I’d provide both sides of the debate and put forward my two cents on the situation. Also, I’d like to point out that I have been and continue to be a huge AJ Styles fan, personally, I think he is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Further, PWI ranked him #4 in their top 500 professional wrestlers this year. Before, you read on, I would also like to note this isn’t an article based on “who is to blame?”, it is an article about the move itself and the recent news and my opinion on what should happen.
Since Styles left TNA last year he’s wrestled predominantly for New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor while also working independent shows. Last month, at the Power Struggle pay-per-view for NJPW, Styles wrestled Yoshitatsu (formerly of WWE) which ended in Styles giving the Styles Clash to him and winning the match. However, Yoshitatsu landed wrong and has sadly, broken his neck in two places. Similarly, this has happened 2 times prior to this since AJ has left TNA against Roderick Strong, in ROH, and against the UK’s Lionheart when AJ toured after his TNA release. Since the incident with Yoshitatsu happened, Lionheart has took to Facebook to ask AJ to stop using the move, he said:
“I'll make the assumption he sees this somehow so please read and share... I'd like to openly address him...
Firstly, I hope things are well for you and family... I wanted to write you because I feel it's important someone speak up in a more formal and diplomatic manner, as opposed to simply throwing abuse via anonymous social media ramblings...
Here's the truth... The move is not directly dangerous... It's a simple move in principle... Arms and legs locked, you fall forward, guy looks up/back, easy... The Styles Clash 'on paper' is a fairly safe and basic process...
That said, what is dangerous, is the instinctual reaction of your opponent... The wrestler taking the move, who like any wrestler taking any move, their safety and welfare is the priority...
Without ANY injuries, it could be argued that the mechanics of the move are unnatural, and injury could easily happen due to the physical restrictions and instinctual habits of the recipient... The numbers now are surely too great to even call it an argument?
I'm more than happy to be educated on my statistics, but there can be no move in wrestling history that carries more (documented) serious and potentially career threatening injuries than this... This, is what makes the move dangerous, whether indirectly or not...
Thus far, more specifically the last 12 months, several performers, actual experienced athletes, have been injured with this, 2 of them now with broken necks... The question I want to put to you honestly is, what does it take? What will it actually take for you to stop using this move, at the very least on an independent level, with people not necessarily exposed to the experience of working with you and taking the move semi regularly... How honestly will you feel the day you receive the news that the man you just wrestled has a broken neck and will never walk again? Statistically, that day is coming... It is a mathematical certainty...
I take this opportunity now, to openly and publicly beg you... Please, stop using the Styles Clash... You are unquestionably one of the greatest in ring performers of our time, I truly believe that... But the time is now, to put all pride, ego, blame aside, and acknowledge that irrelevant of fault, circumstance or anything else, the move is a direct risk and a danger to the safety and well being of your fellow wrestler...
All the best.”
First of all, I’ve seen a lot of people on Twitter suggest that AJ Styles doesn’t care about his opponents and that’s why there’s been injuries. To me, to say this about a guy who is in the majority of people’s mind, one of the top 10 best wrestlers in the world currently is idiotic. There is no way, in my opinion, that you can be on the level he is in terms of wrestling without having care for your opponent. I’d also like to play devil’s advocate to Lionheart’s statement and suggest that moves such as the piledriver are used by MANY wrestlers in the world despite the increasing neck injuries that seem to occur, perhaps, most well know, Stone Cold Steve Austin and even on a lesser level, Mike Bennet’s piledriver against BJ Whitmore. My point here is that wrestling is dangerous and that the Styles Clash, to me shouldn’t be outlawed as a move that is banned permanently when there is other moves that are used a lot more often that can, and do cause serious injuries. Also, this isn’t a move that AJ has suddenly started using in the last year, he debuted this move over 10 years ago and as soon as he leaves TNA this problems have started to arise. Perhaps, I’d like to suggest that, with no disrespect to Yoshitatsu or Lionheart that they aren’t the most experienced of wrestlers. Yoshitatsu, although his career began in the early 2000s, within recent years his wrestling exposure has been limited at best due to his WWE contract and although Lionheart, is known as one of the better wrestlers in the UK, he may have lacked experience in taking this move. However, one thing that cannot be argued is that Roderick Strong is inexperienced as he has wrestled regularly, with no breaks since 2003. With the longevity of Styles’ career and the amount he’s used the move, it has to be argued that out of all the times he’s used this move, the amount of injuries with it has to be in the 1% margin of error, even Lionheart mentions in his post that the move, on paper is easy to take. Perhaps, it can be further argued that because of how easy it is for the opponent to seemingly take that the responsibility may fall onto the opponent for not knowing how to take the move correctly. When viewing the clips of the incidents, prior to the bump, the positioning of the wrestlers, visually, seems like every other Styles Clash which suggests that it could be the responsibility of Styles’ opponents. This raises the argument that this could have just been an unlucky year for Styles, however, bad luck such as this can end in paralysis.
Perhaps, it has to be said that on the other hand, 3 times in a year is a hard statistic to let go of, especially when causing such serious injuries as these. No matter how “real” or “fake” wrestling is, I’ve always believed that a wrestler should be able to WALK away from a match and under these circumstances the competitors couldn’t, and if they did, they suffered for it. Also, some have proposed that AJ is just getting too old now and that’s why the injuries have started to become more prominent. Perhaps, this is true, and if it is then it is AJ’s responsibility to manage that and alter his move-set and if it does have to do with people knowing how to take the move then maybe the responsibility is on the opponent to either learn or ask Styles not to use that move in a match.
Overall, I feel like when the safety of a performer is brought into concern, the actions and consequences need to seen very seriously. In my opinion, the Styles Clash shouldn’t be outlawed altogether but maybe AJ should begin to use an alternate finisher that he can use for the majority of matches, and only using the Styles Clash for bigger events or matches, also, this gives the time for more preparation and for the opponent to learn how to take the move properly without injury.
Carl
@discuslariet - Twitter
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