To any fan of professional wrestling outside the WWE in the early 2000's, Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles were two talents redefining what professional wrestling would look like in the post-WCW era. WWE had won the Monday Night War putting WCW out of business. The void left by WCW led to multiple small regional promotions springing up across America. A group of talented wrestlers started making a name for themselves across these promotions. Names like Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Samoa Joe as well as AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels.
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Ring of Honor, followed by TNA, gave this crop of young talent the chance to shine, and shine they did, some of the biggest names in wrestling appeared in ROH and TNA. It was during this time that Styles and Daniels started what would become a close personal friendship as well as an intense professional rivalry. The two had brutal, violent wars in the ring, yet are so close as friends, that their children are named after each other. Here are 10 things you didn't know about the AJ Styles Christopher Daniels rivalry.
10 Their Origins In WCW & WWE
In 1998 Christopher Daniels signed with WWE on a developmental deal and played one of the Conquistadors in the Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian rivalry. After his release, Daniels got a tryout for WCW, but an injury suffered during the tryout stopped him from being signed full-time. AJ Styles appeared on Nitro as part of the cruiserweight tag team tournament before being signed to a developmental deal. After WCW closed its doors, WWE offered to pick up AJ's developmental deal, which he refused due to family reasons, but made a couple of appearances, working as an enhancement talent on WWE's b-shows.
9 Ring Of Honor
Both Styles and Daniels became standouts in ROH's early days. It was clear that both men were portrayed as main event level from day one. Daniels formed the faction The Prophecy, a group refusing to adhere to the Code of Honor, shifting Daniels to the tag team division, which is where his rivalry with Styles would start. Styles started teaming with Amazing Red, beating Prophecy for the tag straps, going on to defend them against the Briscoes, before losing them again to Prophecy.
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8 Daniels & Styles' Early TNA Runs
Both men started with a newly formed promotion, Total Nonstop Action, within the first couple of months, with Style becoming the inaugural X Division Champion, and an NWA Tag Team Champion with Jerry Lynn. Meanwhile, Daniels was working as a member of Vince Russo's faction, Sports Entertainment Extreme (SEX) with Low-Ki and Elix Skipper forming a subgroup called Triple X. This had Low-Ki focus on the X Division while Skipper and Daniels worked mainly tag and six man matches, eventually beating America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Titles, Daniels' first title in TNA.
7 The World Title Push Of AJ Styles
After the break up of Triple X, Daniels briefly feuded with Jeff Jarrett before becoming an X Division competitor. The experience of Daniels helping the young X Division athletes to shine, his work was so unselfish it often gets overlooked. As he was also working a high-profile program in ROH, it is believed both companies were hesitant to put a belt on him due to his split commitments. AJ Styles during this time had been moved up the card working with more seasoned heavyweights on his way to challenging for the prestigious NWA World Title, losing against Jeff Jarrett. AJ would finally win the gold in a triple threat with Jarrett and Raven.
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6 X Division Rivals
While Styles and Daniels had shared locker rooms for years, their in-ring interactions had been sporadic, usually in number-one contender matches, but had not worked a real program outside their brief tag rivalry in ROH together. This was about to change as Style started to challenge for the X Division as the top of the TNA card was populated by ex-WWE superstars. The two would feud over the X Division title, with Daniels having to earn his chance by lasting 10 minutes against the champ, AJ Styles. The resulting 30-minute Iron Man match being the highlight of their 1st program together.
5 The Feud Picks Up Pace
Styles held the X division for several months until the Ultimate X match. In another TNA signature match Styles retrieved the title. Unfortunately, the referee had been knocked out, so Daniels hit an Angel's Wings on AJ and took the belt as the referee woke up, making him the new champion. Daniels had a fantastic first run as champion, picking up victories on the following 5 PPVs. Styles was entered into a tournament where the winner would become the number one contender for Daniels' X Division belt. Samoa Joe won the tournament, but as Daniels had cost Styles the match he was added to the match making it a triple threat with Styles, and Samoa Joe challenging Daniels.
4 Christopher Daniels & AJ Styles Have A 5 Star Classic
While having a strong showing as champion, there was no doubt Daniels went into this match as the underdog. Samoa Joe had come in off the back of unparalleled success in ROH and was undefeated, while Styles was a 3 time NWA Champion. Daniels used this in his promos building up to the match, Styles hating Daniels for costing him the match, while Joe was still the near silent assassin, so it was up to Daniels and Styles to build this match. The match itself is an absolute masterpiece every wrestling fan needs to watch. There was technical wrestling, reversals, counter holds, high flying, near falls and false finishes with every man in the ring knowing his role, earning TNA's only Dave Meltzer 5-star match to date.
3 Christopher Daniels & AJ Styles Team Up
Styles and Daniels would continue to feud with each other and Samoa Joe, leading to a return of the triple threat, with Joe winning. Daniels and Joe exchanged title wins before Daniels and Styles started teaming, earning a shot at the NWA Tag Titles. The chemistry they shared as opponents were magnified as teammates. The program with America's Most Wanted was engaging and the matches all delivered, with Styles and Daniels eventually winning the belts. They would go on to feud with LAX trading title wins. While never expected to be a real tag team for the long term the work they did was as good as anything in either of their careers, even being named Pro Wrestling Insider's Tag Team Of The Year.
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2 Their Post TNA Runs
While Daniels remained in the tag team and X Divisions, AJ was again pushed into the World Title picture. The two had limited interactions, other than briefly stable mates in Fortune. After leaving TNA, AJ went on to New Japan, winning the IWGP World title on his 1st night, replacing Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) as leader of the Bullet Club, before moving on to WWE. Daniels after leaving became more involved in ROH, winning the ROH World Championship, and is currently working as head of talent relations for AEW.
1 The Legacies Of AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels
The two have inarguably left a huge mark on the world of professional wrestling. Styles is no doubt a 1st ballot WWEHall of Famer, holding world titles in every company he has worked in, excluding Ring Of Honor, which ironically is the only world title Daniels has won. Daniels' legacy is more in the independent wrestling scene, where he is not only respected as a great worker but an unselfish veteran, willing to give his experience to anyone who asks. While Styles's name is known everywhere in wrestling, Daniels is a name most WWE fans will have never heard of, but that shouldn't detract from two amazing careers.
