WWE superstar AJ Styles has broken character to reveal what he really thinks of bitter rival Cody Rhodes.
The Phenomenal One is set to face the WWE Champion tonight in an I Quit Match at Clash At The Castle in Scotland as the American Nightmare is in the middle of an historic run seeing him become the face of the company and WWE 2K24 cover star.
Pulling back the curtain less than a day before their intense grudge match, AJ exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’m in there with probably one of the greatest baby faces in WWE history.
‘Like, you don’t think about this. But I’ve seen him work. I’ve seen what he does, the little things that he does, and he does it all with a smile on his fac.
‘I’m just like, in awe. I am totally giving you guys way too much information as a bad guy right now! It’s impressive to see what he’s done and how he does it.
‘And if you want to be at the top, you’ve got to be Cody Rhodes. You got to do what he does. Nobody is hustling more than Cody Rhodes.’
On screen, the pair have been involved in a very intense and personal rivalry, playing off their real life careers and history travelling the world in other promotions, and their very different journeys.
A couple of weeks ago, AJ faked a retirement speech to lure Cody into a false sense of security before going on the attack, and the veteran admitted there was ‘a lot’ of truth to what he said in his ‘farewell’ before the big twist.
‘A lot of it was real. But there’s a lot more people that I’m gonna have to thank before I ever step foot away from that ring ever again,’ he said. ‘There’s so many people that have gotten me to this spot where I am right now.
‘And I wish I would take more time to thank those guys, for always being there and being so great to me.
‘You know, whether it be competitors, and people just helping me travel, so many people have helped throughout my over two decades of wrestling to get him where I’m at today.’
After AJ revealed his retirement speech was just a ruse to get one over on Cody, he unleashed a brutal assault on his rival, which saw him deliver a genuinely risky Styles Clash off the steel steps and onto the arena floor.
Eagle eyed fans pointed out the former world champ adjusting his feet to avoid catching his opponent on the edge of the steps, but he insisted he knew exactly what he was doing.
‘A lot of people thought I was just gonna kill him, take his head off. I was like, “How can I have a match with him if I kill him?!” he argued, while we pointed out it would be an ‘easy win’.
He laughed: ‘”I win, he’s not alive!” But yeah, there are things like that we do that are supposed to look violent. It’s supposed to look the way that they are. But that’s why they call us professionals, right?
‘We’ve been doing this long enough to make what we do seem very extreme. And then, you know, tell a great story all at the same time.’
AJ has stood the test of time as one of the true legends of the game over the past two decades, and while he’s been very honest about wanting to retire in the not-too-distance future, nights like Backlash in Lyon, France – and this weekend in Glasgow – make that a tough decision.
‘That’s why it’s so hard for guys to retire, fans like that. They want to be a part of that, it’s something special,’ he said. ‘In that moment, and you’re in that ring, and you’re walking down the aisle, all those moments matter.
‘But when you’re at home, and you’re with your kids, and you’re at a ball game, where you’re just watching a movie together, all that matters.
‘So it’s just trying to take as much as you can with you wherever you go – and enjoying every bit of it.’
Clash at the Castle: Scotland airs live from the Hydro Glasgow, Saturday June 15th, tune in on the WWE Network and TNT Sports Box Office. WWE 2K24 is available now.
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