AJ Styles' WrestleMania Matches
Jessica Wilkins AJ Styles is one of the most celebrated and talented professional wrestlers from the last two decades, making a name for himself outside of WWE before coming to the company and making it clear just why he was given the reputation for being so good. Styles has now spent eight years in WWE, and in that time he has competed at seven WrestleMania events.
Every Roman Reigns WrestleMania Main Event Match, Ranked Worst To Best
Roman Reigns has 7 WrestleMania main events to his name so far. How does each match stack up, when ranked from worst to best?In terms of the names he has faced, there are few who share the WrestleMania resume on paper that AJ Styles has. How good are his matches at the event though? TheSportster’s rating system will determine which of his WrestleMania matches are the very best, and these will be compared to ratings from both cagematch.net and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
To learn more about how we rank wrestling matches on TheSportster, please check out our match ranking criteria guide here.
7 AJ Styles Vs. Edge (WWE WrestleMania 38 Night Two)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.25/10
Storytelling | 1.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 1.75/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 1.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.75 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 7.03
The heel turn from Edge prior to this match led to him putting in more of a slower and methodical performance, which is not what fans wanted leading into this legit dream match. All the moves were fine and everything the pair did was executed well, but the match lacked urgency and pace, and the crowd drifted out of it due to this. The psychology and selling was okay, and the final moments were strong, but overall this was by far the most disappointing match AJ Styles has had at WrestleMania.
6 AJ Styles Vs. Randy Orton (WWE WrestleMania 35)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.5/10
Storytelling | 1.75/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 1.5/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 1.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.25 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 6.27
AJ Styles and Randy Orton showcased strong chemistry here and had a match that had some solid wrestling, unique counters, and a generic yet strong structure. However, the crowd was distracted due to the lighting in this match, making for a super awkward atmosphere where neither Orton nor Styles knew what the crowd was reacting to. With a more interested audience this would have been much better, but ultimately this impacted the whole match and lessened its quality.
5 AJ Styles Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE WrestleMania 34)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.5/10
Storytelling | 1.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 1.75/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 1.5/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.75 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 6.60
Every Cody Rhodes WrestleMania Match, Ranked From Worst To Best
With Cody Rhodes returning to a WWE ring at WrestleMania 38, let's check out his 'Mania matches, ranked from worst to best.After their historic clashes in NJPW, this match had loftier expectations than any bout at WrestleMania 34. Stuck in the middle of a long show, shackled by a lackluster build, and a very slow pace, this match under-delivered. The action itself wasn’t inherently back, but the crowd just didn’t connect with the match, and the lack of heat really impacted the whole thing. The action picked up pace towards the end, but before it could elevate to a higher level, it ended abruptly, which was a shame. The post-match turn was good, but it didn’t lead to much.
4 AJ Styles & Omos Vs. The New Day (WWE WrestleMania 37)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.5/10
Storytelling | 1.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 1.5/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 1.75/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 2.25 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 5.45
This was a very simple match, with WWE flipping the babyface and heel dynamics, all leading up to the hot tag for the debuting Omos. The crowd went wild for everything the big man did, serving a great introduction for him, though the rest of his WWE career hasn’t quite kept up this momentum. The New Day was very entertaining here, AJ Styles put in a good performance, and whilst this didn’t set the world on fire, it did its job and was a very good debut for Omos.
3 AJ Styles Vs. The Undertaker (WWE WrestleMania 36 Night One)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10
Storytelling | 2.25/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 1.5/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.25/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 1.5/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: N/A
- Cagematch.net Rating: 7.73
WWE tried to make the most of the pandemic and no fans by pitting AJ Styles against The Undertaker in a cinematic Boneyard Match. This was a strange, surreal, yet effective match in which both Styles and Undertaker put in great character-driven performances. The production of the match was a little bit amateur in truth, but given the short time-frame WWE had, it was good enough. It acted as a good way to end the career of The Undertaker, with him retiring after this. The strange cinematic nature was off-putting for some, but in terms of battling a silent crowd reaction, this was a great deviation.
2 AJ Styles Vs. Chris Jericho (WWE WrestleMania 32)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8/10
Storytelling | 1.75/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2.25/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 3.75 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 7.16
Hulk Hogan's WrestleMania Matches, Definitively Ranked Worst To Best
WrestleMania probably wouldn't exist without Hulkamania. Hulk Hogan competed in some of the biggest 'Mania matches of all time. What is his best?This is a match that doesn’t quite receive the plaudits it deserves. AJ Styles entered his first WrestleMania against a newly heel Chris Jericho, and they had one of the better matches of the whole show. It was a fluid, well-wrestled match which had a decent pace to it. The counters were great, the technical showcase was top notch, and whilst the result of the bout wasn’t ideal, it was still a good match, and it really allowed Styles to make his first major splash in WWE.
1 AJ Styles Vs. Shane McMahon (WWE WrestleMania 33)
Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10
Storytelling | 2/2.5 |
|---|---|
Technical Ability | 2/2.5 |
Character Work/Psychology | 2.25/2.5 |
Crowd Reaction | 2.25/2.5 |
- Dave Meltzer Rating: 4 Stars
- Cagematch.net Rating: 7.70
When looking at some of the names AJ Styles has faced at WrestleMania, the fact that Shane McMahon is arguably his best opponent is crazy. This match had surprisingly good in-ring work from both men, which flowed from one sequence to the next, before breaking down into some fun sports entertainment chaos - an environment in which McMahon thrives. This had several big spots such as a Coast To Coast, announce table Elbow Drop, and a Shooting Star Press. Styles held the match together, but he brought out one of the best Shane McMahon performances ever.
