AJ Styles believes one of the biggest things missing from modern professional wrestling is psychology, arguing that wrestlers don’t need high spots or spectacular moves to produce a great match.
Styles discussed the subject on the latest episode of The AJ Styles Show after co-host Tony Giles praised two recent matches Styles produced: Brooks Jensen vs. Elijah Holyfield on WWE Evolve and Rey Fenix vs. EK Prosper on the August 25 edition of NXT.
Giles noted that despite the matches being worked at very different speeds, both succeeded because everything the wrestlers did made sense.
Styles agreed and explained why psychology remains so important. “One thing that wrestling is missing is the psychology behind why you do a lot of things,” Styles said. “You can have a great match without all this high-flying stuff or crazy stuff. You don’t have to have it if it’s told in a story that makes sense that people can digest.”
For Styles, being able to combine strong storytelling with spectacular athleticism is what separates wrestlers competing at the highest level. “When you’re able to do that, plus add the craziness to all that, that’s pro level. That’s elite level,” Styles said. “So it’s easier said than done. I’ll say that.”
Styles applied the same philosophy when discussing Jensen, whom he has known since 2020 and has worked with as a producer on Evolve. “It’s not necessarily about the moves. It’s about the selling and how he sells,” Styles said.
Jensen faced Holyfield in a lumberjack match on the August 26 edition of WWE Evolve from the Performance Center in Orlando. Holyfield picked up the victory in a match lasting just over ten minutes.
Styles said one of the clearest indications that the match succeeded was the reaction from an audience that had already watched numerous matches during the taping. “They did such a good job of making that super entertaining. And we know it’s entertaining when the crowd’s still involved because they’ve seen a lot of matches that day,” he said.
Holyfield, the son of boxing legend Evander Holyfield, previously played running back at Georgia. Styles noted that his athletic background has contributed to comparisons with Bron Breakker.
Jensen, meanwhile, is the son of former WWE star Bull Buchanan and has been wrestling since 2019. He signed with WWE in 2021 and became one of the final NXT UK Tag Team Champions before the brand closed. He returned earlier this year following time away due to injury.
Styles has previously spoken highly of Jensen’s potential, predicting that he will become one of the bigger stars to emerge from NXT and praising his understanding of professional wrestling at such a young age.
Styles also produced the August 25 NXT main event between Rey Fenix and EK Prosper for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. Fenix retained the title in approximately 11 minutes, but Styles said the experienced wrestlers required very little direction from him. “Those guys are pros. They know what they’re doing,” he said. “I didn’t have to do a lot in that match. I gave my two cents where needed.”
Prosper had earned the championship opportunity one week earlier by winning a four-way match against Tristan Angels, Romeo Moreno and La Parka on the August 18 edition of NXT.
Styles also revealed that his personal wrestling tastes extend much further back, explaining why he enjoys watching matches from the 1950s. “I just like the headlock for five minutes and then the suplexes to finish,” he said.
Styles retired from in-ring competition after losing to Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble, exactly ten years after making his WWE debut at the same event in 2016.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 17 and has since transitioned into talent development, producing matches for NXT and Evolve. Styles has also been filling in as an NXT coach while Terry Taylor recovers from knee surgery.
His work behind the scenes has now given Styles the opportunity to pass on the philosophy that helped shape his own career: spectacular moves can enhance a match, but without psychology and a story the audience can understand, they aren’t what makes professional wrestling work.
