AJ Styles
A high-flying wrestler who redefined in-ring excellence, becoming a global star without ever needing the WWE machine for validation.
Born 1977 (age 49)·American retired professional wrestler·Birthday: June 2·Generation X
Biography
AJ Styles won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, proving an American could thrive at the pinnacle of Japanese wrestling. Born Allen Neal Jones in 1977, he spent his early career on the independent circuit, displaying phenomenal athleticism and technical precision. He became the cornerstone of TNA Wrestling, delivering match-of-the-year candidates. He led the Bullet Club faction. His 2016 Royal Rumble debut in WWE was met with seismic shock. Styles transitioned from rebel outsider to respected veteran, winning world titles and main-eventing Wrestlemania.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
AJ was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When AJ Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
AJ's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the WWE Championship twice, including a victory over Dean Ambrose in 2016.
- Captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, a rare feat for a foreign wrestler.
- Headlined multiple pay-per-view events for TNA Wrestling as its franchise player for over a decade.
- Named Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Wrestler of the Year in 2010 and 2016.
Did You Know?
His ring name 'AJ Styles' is derived from his first name Allen Jones and his early car, an 'AJ' model Audi.
He is a devout Christian and has referenced his faith in his wrestling persona.
Before wrestling, he was a talented amateur wrestler and also worked as a firefighter.
He famously turned down a WWE developmental contract in 2002 to help build TNA.
“I don't want to be the next somebody, I want to be the first AJ Styles.”
