AJ Styles isn’t a fan of WWE Unreal, saying he believes fans haven’t earned the right to see the behind-the-scenes side of the wrestling business.
Speaking on the debut episode of The AJ Styles Show with Tony Giles, the recently retired WWE star shared his honest opinion of the Netflix series, whose third season premiered last week. “Do I like it? I do not, because the outside hasn’t earned the right to know what I know and be where I’ve been.”
Styles explained that the sacrifices wrestlers make throughout their careers are what give them access to that world, something he doesn’t believe should simply be opened up to everyone. “They don’t get the opportunity to get into the ring and hit the ropes as much as they would like to. They shouldn’t get that opportunity. I paid a price.”
After retiring in January following his loss to Gunther at the Royal Rumble, Styles said he’ll live with the physical consequences of his career forever. “It’s something that I’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my life with these injuries that I’ve accumulated, the abuse that I put on my body, and a lot of other guys have done the same.”
From his perspective, that experience has to be earned. “In my old school opinion, they don’t deserve… They haven’t earned the right to know what goes on, what is said and all these things. It’s just my opinion.”
Styles acknowledged, however, that WWE’s motivation is understandable from a business standpoint. “If there’s a way that they can make money off this, they’re going to, and that’s kind of where we’re at in this business… It’s all about making money and finding ways to do that.”
Despite his criticism, Styles admitted he understands why fans are fascinated by wrestling’s inner workings because he once felt the same curiosity himself.
He recalled watching a masked television personality in the 1990s explain how professional wrestling worked. “We were blown away, and everybody wanted to know what that was like… I watched it. It was like, ‘Wow, that’s how it’s done.'”
He suggested Unreal may simply be the modern version of satisfying that curiosity. “Maybe it’s the same kind of thing going on.”
Styles also noted that WWE now openly presents itself as an entertainment company, with talent generally referred to as performers rather than wrestlers.
Asked whether that terminology bothered him, his response was simple: “They’re not wrong.”
Styles’ view contrasts with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, who recently called WWE Unreal his favorite WWE programming, saying he finds the backstage process more interesting than the matches themselves. Meanwhile, Chelsea Green has credited a behind-the-scenes clip from the show’s first season with helping fans rally behind her before she won the Interim WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam.
