What was going through AJ Styles’ mind when he was being overwhelmed with love and support from the Paris crowd at WWE Raw last week?
Let’s find out!
WWE released special behind-the-scenes footage of “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles reacting live backstage at Paris La Défense Arena moments after being overwhelmed with love and affection from the sold-out, passionate and enthusiastic crowd in Paris during WWE Raw last Monday night, September 1, 2025.
“I wasn’t able to absorb it and take it all in [at Backlash 2024], but tonight I got to soak it in, close my eyes, and just take mental images that will stay with me for the rest of my life (see photo below),” Styles told WWE cameras soon after walking back through the curtain following his appearance on the 9/1 WWE Raw in Paris, France.
“Man, I didn’t realize how much AJ Styles was loved,” Styles said. “And that means a lot. It’s not just like, ‘Hey, he wrestles for the WWE.’ They appreciate the work that I put in for the past two decades, two and a half decades. And, man, that means a lot. I did something right in this business — not everything, but tonight, it showed me I did what it takes to get the love and support that I need.”
Styles continued, “Need is the key word — I needed that. I needed that love to have a great match with Dominik Mysterio. Not because Dominik Mysterio is not great — because he is — I needed it for me. I needed it for my ego, all these little things that shouldn’t matter but sometimes it does because you just don’t know if you’ve done enough. I needed that.”
