Jones first appeared in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 2002, but declined a developmental contract. He returned to the company in 2016, and won the WWE Championship twice. With his second victory in Manchester, England, Jones is recognized by WWE as the first wrestler to win the title outside North America. At 371 days, this is the eighth-longest reign in title history. He also won the United States Championship three times, the Intercontinental Championship and the Raw Tag Team Championship once each, thus becoming the second wrestler (after Kurt Angle) to become a TNA/Impact and WWE Triple Crown winner and first Grand Slam champion in both promotions.
A Second Nexus 7 Godfather Is Maj
Styles debuted in Ring of Honor (ROH) at its third show, 2002's A Night of Appreciation,[23] and quickly became a main eventer (e.g., performing in main event matches against Low Ki for the ROH World Championship at Honor Invades Boston).[23] After failing to win the title, he became the first holder of the Number One Contender's Trophy, which was viewed within the promotion as a secondary championship at the time.[23] At the First Anniversary Show in February 2003, Styles competed against Low Ki and Paul London in a three-way match, which was won by London. After this, Styles competed by himself and defeated The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid), The Carnage Crew (HC Loc and Tony DeVito), and The S.A.T. (Joel and Jose Maximo), to receive a title shot for the ROH Tag Team Championship. He chose Amazing Red as his partner, and the two defeated The Prophecy (Christopher Daniels and Xavier) to win the championship.[23][24] Styles then feuded with London, who was upset that he had chosen Red as his partner, wrestling to a draw at Night of the Grudges.[23] Styles and Red then defeated The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) on three separate occasions, but lost to The Prophecy. At Wrath of the Racket, Christopher Daniels and Dan Maff put Red out of action and Styles picked Homicide as his replacement partner. Styles and Homicide beat The Prophecy,[23] but Styles had to vacate the title due to Red being sidelined by a legitimate injury.[24]
In May 2002, Styles was signed to a non-exclusive contract by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He appeared on the first weekly TNA pay-per-view, teaming with Low Ki and Jerry Lynn and losing to The Flying Elvises (Jimmy Yang, Jorge Estrada and Sonny Siaki).[1] The following week, Styles defeated Low Ki, Jerry Lynn and Psicosis in a double elimination match to become the inaugural TNA X Division Champion.[1] He won a second title on the third TNA pay-per-view, teaming with Lynn and defeating Bruce and Lenny Lane in the finals of a tournament for the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship.[27][unreliable source?] Styles successfully defended both titles in the following weeks but began to bicker with the veteran Lynn during their matches together. On August 7, Styles lost the X Division title to Low Ki in a three-way dance also involving Lynn.[27] The following week, he and Lynn fought Jeff Jarrett and Ron Killings to a no contest, and the tag team title was held-up as a result.[27] The following week, he and Lynn fought one another in a Falls Count Anywhere match (which was won by Lynn), a no disqualification match (which was won by Styles) and a ten-minute Iron Man match, which ended in a draw after both men scored three pinfalls.[27] On August 28, Low Ki defended the X Division Championship against Lynn and Styles in a ladder match and lost the title to Lynn.[27] Recruiting Mortimer Plumtree and Sonny Siaki as allies, Styles continued to feud with Lynn in successive weeks.[27] On October 23, he defeated Syxx-Pac for the X Division Championship,[1] but lost the title to Lynn on November 6 and tried unsuccessfully to regain it throughout the remainder of the year.[1]
Styles feuded with Abyss and Jeff Jarrett throughout January, and on February 4, 2004, after Styles demanded a title shot, Jarrett's ally Don Callis forced him to team with Abyss in a match with the NWA World Tag Team Champions, Kevin Northcutt and Legend, which Styles' won, despite being abandoned by Abyss.[1] The following week, Styles defeated Abyss in a match to determine the sole owner of the tag team championship by disqualification after Jarrett interfered, but his victory was overturned by Callis, leading to another match the following week which was won by Abyss after Lex Luger interfered, thus granting Abyss sole control of the tag team championship.[1] On March 17, Abyss defeated Styles to become the number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[27] Russo granted Styles a championship steel cage match against Jarret on April 21, where he won his second world title.[1] He successfully defended the title in matches with Ron Killings, Raven and Chris Harris, and on May 19 he defended against all three men in a four-way title match. Styles lost the title to Killings after Jarrett interfered in the match, hitting him with a guitar.[27]
At Bound for Glory, Styles successfully defended the title against Christopher Daniels in the second thirty-minute Iron Man.[43] The following month at Genesis, Styles successfully defended the title against Petey Williams.[44] Styles then started a feud with Joe, claiming that he had broken the unwritten "code of the X Division" by brutally beating Daniels.[44] At Turning Point, Styles lost the X Division Championship to Joe.[45] Styles was unsuccessful in retaining the title in a triple threat match, also featuring Daniels, at Against All Odds,[46] and in an Ultimate X match at Destination X, which Daniels won.[47] After Daniels lost the title back to Joe, Styles joined Daniels to challenge America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. After losing to America's Most Wanted in title matches on two occasions, Styles and Daniels won the NWA World Tag Team Championship at Slammiversary.[48] They successfully retained against The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) (LAX) at Hard Justice,[49] only to lose the title to them in a Border Brawl on the August 24 episode of Impact!.[50] They regained the title at No Surrender,[51] but dropped them back to LAX at Bound for Glory in a Six Sides of Steel match.[52]
With these shortcomings, Flair adopted Kazarian as his newest protégé, thus causing Styles to become jealous and tried to impress his mentor, but after failing to defeat Jay Lethal, Flair ordered him to "go home".[103][104] At Slammiversary VIII, Styles attempted to win Flair back by defeating Lethal, but lost again.[105] On the following episode of Impact!, Flair, who had aligned himself with Styles, Desmond Wolfe, Kazarian, Robert Roode and James Storm, announced that he would reform the Four Horsemen under the new name Fourtune, stating that each of them would have to earn their spots in the group.[106][107] Styles and Kazarian earned their spots by defeating Samoa Joe and Rob Terry due to outside interference from Desmond Wolfe.[108] On the July 22 episode of Impact!, Styles defeated Terry to win the Global Championship (formerly the Legends Championship) for the second time.[109] The following week on Impact!, Styles renamed the title the TNA Television Championship.[110] Fourtune (soon renamed Fortune) then feuded with EV 2.0 and Styles defeated EV 2.0 leader Tommy Dreamer in a non-title "I Quit" match at No Surrender,[111] although Fortune were defeated in a Lethal Lockdown match by EV 2.0 at Bound for Glory.[112] On the following episode of Impact!, Fortune formed an alliance with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff's new stable, Immortal.[113] At Turning Point, Fortune defeated EV 2.0 in a ten-man tag team match and, as a result, EV 2.0's Sabu was released from TNA.[114] The following month at Final Resolution, Styles lost the Television Championship to Douglas Williams, who had turned on Fortune.[115] On the February 3 episode of Impact!, Fortune turned into fan favorites by attacking Immortal, when they interfered in a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy.[116] Flair, who did not take part in Fortune's turn due to an injury, returned on the February 17 episode of Impact!, turning on Fortune during a match between Styles and Matt Hardy and jumping to Immortal.[117] Styles faced Flair and Hardy in a three-way street fight match on March 10, where Styles was pinned by his former mentor, with assistance from Hardy.[118] At Victory Road, Styles defeated Hardy in a singles match, despite interference from Flair.[119]
Beginning in February 2013, TNA began airing videos at Styles' home interviewing his wife, a friend, and even attempting to interview Styles himself before he angrily forced them to leave.[157][158] Styles, now sporting a beard, unkempt hair, and all-black attire, returned to TNA with the Calf Killer submission hold as his new finisher, which he used to defeat James Storm in his first match back.[159][160][161] Styles, who remained silent in the following weeks, began feuding with Kurt Angle after refusing to tell Angle whether or not he was with the Aces & Eights stable.[162] His new gimmick was nicknamed "The Lone Wolf", since he rejected to join Aces & Eights.[163] At Slammiversary XI, Styles was defeated by Angle in a singles match,[164] but he defeated him in a rematch to earn the final spot in the 2013 Bound for Glory Series.[165] Throughout the following weeks, Styles participated in the Bound For Glory Series, winning the tournament and becoming the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory.[166] The following week on Impact Wrestling, Styles claimed that he was no longer under contract with TNA and insulted Dixie Carter, who responded by saying that Styles was not a great wrestler.[167] In the weeks leading up to Bound for Glory, Styles continued to appear on Impact Wrestling, despite not having a contract with the company, but he would defeat Bully Ray at Bound for Glory, despite interference from Aces & Eights and Carter, to win his second TNA World Heavyweight Championship and fifth world title in the company overall.[168] Styles made his first televised title defense on the following episode of Impact Wrestling, defeating Ray in a rematch after interference from Mr. Anderson, after which he refused Carter's new contract offer and walked out of TNA with the title.[169] On October 29, TNA vacated the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[170] On the December 2 taping of Impact Wrestling which aired on January 2, 2014, Styles returned to TNA with his championship to confront Carter and Magnus (who had won a tournament to crown the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion), with Styles challenging Magnus to a title unification match on next weeks episode of Impact Wrestling, which Magnus accepted.[171] On December 5 taping of Impact Wrestling which aired on tape delay on January 9, Magnus won to unify both titles after interference from eight other wrestlers on Magnus' behalf and Sting interfering on Styles' behalf in what would be Styles' final match with TNA.[172][173][174] On December 8, it was reported that contract negotiations between Styles and TNA had broken down and that Styles would be leaving the promotion, becoming a free agent effective December 17 and ending his near twelve-year association with the company.[175] According to Styles he left the promotion since they made him an offer which reduced his salary about 60%.[176] 2ff7e9595c
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