When fans look at AJ Styles’ rise to the top of WWE, it is easy to assume the path was inevitable. According to Styles himself, that could not be further from the truth. During a recent appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, Styles revealed that he turned down an early WWE contract offer because he could not afford to take it.
Styles explained that the offer came at a time when he and his wife were newly married and she was still in college. WWE’s developmental system at the time required him to relocate to Cincinnati, with a reported salary of $500 per week. For many aspiring wrestlers, a WWE opportunity is automatic acceptance. For Styles, it was a financial and personal dilemma. “The biggest wrestling company in the world and I had to turn ’em down,” he said. He added that independent contractor taxes and relocation costs made the numbers unworkable, stating, “I can barely pay for anything now.”
Despite encouragement from his wife to pursue the opportunity, Styles chose to stay. “My job is to take care of her,” he said, emphasizing that their marriage came first. He made it clear the decision was not made lightly, describing it as “hard to swallow.” Years later, Styles reflected on how that choice ultimately protected his career. He noted that the developmental territory in question folded not long after. “If I hadn’t have turned down WWE at the time… I would’ve went out with them,” he said, suggesting his long-term trajectory may have been derailed.
Instead, Styles built his name in TNA and Japan before eventually signing with WWE under very different circumstances. Looking back, he believes the timing was not accidental. “I think everything happens for a reason,” Styles stated, adding that when he finally arrived in WWE, he was “pretty respected” already. The decision that once seemed like a setback ultimately became a defining moment in a career that would later earn him championship gold and, potentially, a future Hall of Fame spot.
