Xavier Woods: “Without AJ Styles sticking his neck out for me, I don’t know if I have the life that I have now”
While speaking to the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, WWE star Xavier Woods commented on the impact AJ Styles made on his career…
“There’s a lot I can say about AJ.
So, for the people who don’t know, AJ—actually, AJ’s wife—said that I should get the shot at Bound for Glory to wrestle against him and Tomko. I had trained with AJ for—I don’t even know how long. He needed people to help him get some sweat going because he was coming off a run with Daniels as tag champions and going back into singles.
So my buddy Saro calls me and goes, ‘Hey, AJ needs some bodies to bump around.’ I’m working at a daycare that summer, and I call my boss—who was actually my teacher when I was little. She knew I wanted to be a wrestler. She knew I was on the independents. I said, ‘I have a chance to wrestle with this guy. He’s like my favorite wrestler. I need a week off.’ She said, ‘Go. Use that week and train with AJ.’
Months down the road, they’re having this match at Bound for Glory. It’s him and Tomko against Truth and Pac-Man Jones. Pac-Man Jones can’t really wrestle because of NFL contract stuff. They just need somebody who can be in the match.
So AJ’s thinking about people, and his wife says, ‘Oh, that guy was really nice. Why don’t you give him a shot?’
And they gave me a shot—sight unseen—to wrestle at their WrestleMania against AJ. From that, I got a contract. From that, I got into WWE. From that, New Day was made. From that, I’m sitting here talking to you.
So without AJ sticking his neck out for me, I don’t know if I have the life that I have now.
That’s somebody who’s very important to me.”