On Sunday, January 29th, the Road to WrestleMania officially begins with the Royal Rumble - featuring the likes of Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, The Undertaker and 27 other competitors battling it out for a main event spot at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Also on tap: In what's sure to be another classic encounter, AJ Styles defends his WWE World Championship against the returning John Cena. Styles notably beat Cena cleanly at SummerSlam last year, but will he replicate that outcome with the belt on the line?
I spoke to Styles about his match with Cena, the now-infamous Royal Rumble poster that had him positioned way in the back, Kurt Angle's Hall of Fame induction, and more.
AJ Styles
IGN: I last spoke to you before your SummerSlam match with John Cena, and asked you what we could expect from you guys and, man, you delivered. It was arguably the best singles match of the year. Now you're the world champion and you're facing Cena at the Royal Rumble. What can we look forward to?
AJ Styles: I can tell you this. For some reason, John and I click very well in that ring. It's a good combination of great psychology and great moves. Together, those create an amazing match. I don't know how to fully explain it but there's just something about the two of us that just clicks in there. It's the recipe for a great match.
IGN: A few weeks back, a lot of us fans were complaining about the Royal Rumble poster, which you brought up on SmackDown Live this week. It looks like you're photo-bombing it - and you're the champ!
Styles: [laughs] Well, listen. I think the fans are more angry about the poster than I was. The fact of the matter is that, yeah, the WWE Champion is in the back. I'm in the back. Is that bothersome? Sure it is. I've worked hard to become the WWE Champion and stay the champ so why would you put me back there? I think this falls on someone in that department though. Someone in that department, the ones who design the posters, needs to watch the WWE product a little closer so they can do a better job before they put something like that out there. Yes, I know I'm not even in the Royal Rumble, but I'm in a pretty big match. And the fact that I'm in a pretty big match with John Cena, who is in the front - well, I should at least be close to the guy I'm facing at the event.
IGN: You're not in the Rumble this year, but do you have a pick to win?
Styles: That's a tough one, man. I kind of want to go with The Undertaker. That's who I want to go with. I'm not sure, but he has the most experience as far as the Royal Rumble goes. I think Goldberg and Brock... Are they numbers 1 and 2? I'm not sure, but if that's the case then not many people actually can last that long, all the way to the end. So depending on where The Undertaker is, he probably has the best shot.
IGN: Now, is Undertaker on the SmackDown roster? He announced that he was back on that show.
Styles: Well, he also announced that nobody's got authority over him as well.
IGN: [laughs] Oh, so it doesn't matter then. He can challenge any of the top champions.
Styles: Yeah, he's The Undertaker so he can do whatever he wants. He can challenge for whatever championship he wants to.
AJ Styles, beating up John Cena.
IGN: Would you like to face Undertaker at WrestleMania?
Styles: I would love to have the opportunity to get in the ring with him. I think that would be fun and, you know, selfishly, it's The Undertaker. I'd love to cross that off my list. I have a lot of goals that I've set, and that would be one. To wrestle The Undertaker. To be in the same ring as him. But I don't know if that will happen.
IGN: On the SmackDown Live roster, who would you still like to have a match with?
Styles: I think Randy Orton is the guy I've yet to literally face. I've never been in the ring with him. Haven't touched him. I think that, for me and most fans, is the match they want to see the most. Me and Randy Orton.
IGN: Samoa Joe was already here when you arrived, but what's it like now for you to see people you've worked with in the past -- like Bobby Roode, Eric Young, and Roderick Strong -- come into the company?
Styles: Oh, I think it's great. I mean, I'm friends with these guys. I want to see them do well. And to be perfectly honest, WWE is the place to be. There's no doubt about that. Everybody knows that it doesn't get any bigger than WWE. It literally is the biggest product. It has the most eyes. It's global. For all my friends who want to, and bust there tails to get to the WWE, I hope they get the opportunity to do that because it is the place to be.
IGN: Kurt Angle too, who you've wrestled a bunch of times, is headed back to WWE for a Hall of Fame induction.
Styles: I'm very happy for that one. I know that's a big deal for Kurt, to be in the Hall of Fame. I'm very excited to see him get inducted, but then to also be there for it and get to see my friend and be able to congratulate him is really a great moment.
IGN: As both someone in the business, and as a fan, was the Royal Rumble something you made sure to catch every year?
Styles: I think there's something special about the Royal Rumble. There's something different about it. It stands out from everything else and it's special to WWE. For the most part, I think everybody want to see the Royal Rumble because not only are there 30 guys trying to win it, and there are a lot of fun combinations to see there, but there are also surprises. People who you don't expect to see there. I'm talking from experience, of course. People don't want to miss those moments. Fans want to see who's going to come out, because you never quite know.
IGN: You get a lot of promo time on SmackDown Live, but you also get to be more off-the-cuff on the Talking Smack after-show. How does that feel for you?
Styles: Yeah, I enjoy literally everything I do with the WWE. There's been a lot of talk about "Oh shoot, I didn't know AJ could actually talk on the mic." Anytime you get time to practice something, and get that experience, you're going to get better at it. And I enjoy the time that's been given to me to get better at it. I want to be the best at everything there is to be good at. Now will I be? No, but I enjoy the opportunity to get better.
IGN: Is competing in the Elimination Chamber also something you've wanted to cross off your list?
Styles: Well, whether it is or it isn't, it's getting scratched off the list. Because that's coming up no matter what [laughs].
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at http://ift.tt/2aJ67FB.
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