Kurt Angle and AJ Styles, two of the best wrestlers of all time. But which one of them had the better first year in WWE?
Kurt Angle and A.J. Styles are two of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. They’re both internationally-recognized for their in-ring abilities. Angle is arguably the best natural grappler ever, having made the transition from amateur wrestling to pro wrestling faster than anyone could’ve predicted.
Styles, meanwhile, has proven himself to be one of the most versatile wrestlers alive today, and has also demonstrated his drawing capabilities everywhere he has worked.
It’s clear that these two men belong in any conversation of greatest wrestlers of all time. But when one tries to compare them to one another, apples to apples, it becomes much harder. In many ways, in fact, they were/are opposites of one another.
Angle’s wrestling style has always favored pragmatism over substance. He has always worked his impeccable amateur background into his matches, preferring to stick to simple takedowns, rapid transitions, submission holds, and mat-based grappling.
Styles, on the other hand, managed to make a name for himself more as a jack of all trades, capable of doing anything and everything. Despite his relatively small stature for a pro wrestler, Styles has proven himself adept at any component of pro wrestling: technique, submission holds, power moves, and aerial attacks, just to name a few.
Yet despite these seemingly polar wrestling styles, both men were, and still are, among the most respected names in the professional wrestling business. But the big question remains: which one of them made the biggest impact when entering WWE?
To answer this question, we’ll compare their first years in the company, based on their quality of matches, accomplishments, and the impacts they had.