He is called the Phenomenal One for a reason, and while it certainly might be a catchy nickname that WWE can use for merchandise purposes, the fact remains that AJ Styles is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. With an unbelievable career stretching over 20 years now, from WCW and TNA to New Japan Pro Wrestling and WWE, Styles has entertained the masses everywhere he has been, always putting on incredible matches for each company.
Styles has also done a great job at evolving throughout that time, changing and adapting himself and his gimmick as well as altering his in-ring style to suit his situation and ensure that he has stayed healthy. While AJ has pulled back on some of his crazier moves, he has done so in order to stay as healthy as possible, extending his career for as long as possible.
10 10. Pele Kick
Let's start the list with a move that AJ Styles often brings out of his arsenal, with the Pele Kick, a brilliant move that always looks great on TV and is one that a few wrestlers on the roster use. AJ often uses the Pele Kick as a way of reversing someone else, turning around, flipping upside down and booting them in the head, always leaving his opponent flat on their backs afterward.
While it isn't one of the craziest moves that AJ has in his arsenal, it is frequently used because of its impact and how good it looks on camera, with the commentary team always hyping it up,
9 9. Bloody Sunday
From a move that AJ Styles uses a lot to one that he now never uses, Bloody Sunday is one of the most vicious moves in AJ's arsenal, but it is one that he hasn't used since joining WWE.
The reason for that is simple, it is a major part of Finn Balor's arsenal and as it is one of his speciality moves, Styles opts not to use it out of respect for the former Bullet Club leader, but that doesn't mean he can't hit it if he wants. AJ actually started using the move when he was in New Japan but has kept it under wraps since returning to America. So if you want to see the double-underhook brainbuster, look out for Balor, who now calls it 1916.
8 8. Sliding Forearm Smash
Back to a move that AJ Styles certainly does use a lot, the Sliding Forearm Smash is another fun move that AJ is able to pull out of his bag of tricks as he transitions from one move to another.
The sliding forearm smash is exactly what it says on the tin. The Phenomenal One hits the ropes and returns with great speed, sliding down to smash his forearm into his opponent, which works as great foreshadowing for a later finisher.
While it isn't a big finishing move, it is certainly effective and looks impactful which is the key to any great move, with Styles often getting a near fall out of it.
7 7. Calf Crusher
It might not be the slickest or fanciest of moves, but the fact is that the Calf Crusher is a brilliant finisher that shows just how versatile AJ Styles really is, with a submission move allowing him so much flexibility in his matches.
Some wrestlers exclusively use a submission finishing move whilst others will only do one from the top rope, the fact that AJ Styles has several different types of finishing moves means that he can keep his matches fresh and unpredictable.
When facing some of his bigger opponents, Styles is able to bring out the Calf Crusher, which is a brilliant submission in its own right, and easily put them away, working on the legs throughout a match. He only added it late on in his career, but it was a very wise move on his behalf.
6 6. Rack Bomb
AJ Styles shows his brilliance and creativity when it comes to the Rack Bomb, as he takes a traditional torture rack move and takes it to a new level by adding a powerbomb element to the end of it.
Whilst the torture rack element is impressive and is a classic move in its own right, it has never been seen as a top submission move that could get the victory, so adding a spinning powerbomb to it is a great way of shaking things up.
Not only does it look great but it makes perfect sense too. With his opponent focused on dealing with a submission, they are then shocked again as Styles transitions into the next move, which is what he does so well in all his matches.
5 5. Stylin DDT
The DDT is a classic wrestling move that has been done to death at this point, with nearly every single wrestler around the world using it at some point, mainly now as a transitional move or one to get a near fall.
However, ever the creative, AJ Styles put his own unique twist on the DDT and made the move his own as a top move in his arsenal. Instead of simply hitting a DDT, Styles springboards off the ropes, catching the wrestler on the way, then planting them down.
AJ even proved he could do it outside the ring during his recent feud with Daniel Bryan, leaping off the barricade to hit it on the outside with great impact.
4 4. Spiral Tap
This is another move that AJ Styles no longer uses, and there is no surprise as the risk factor involved in the Spiral Tap is incredibly high. But it is an incredible move that Styles occasionally busted out during his TNA run.
The move has to be timed to perfection or the result is a true disaster, but the Spiral Tap sees Styles fly from the top rope hitting a corkscrew before the landing and it looks absolutely incredible, but the risk is very high.
Styles hasn't done the move in WWE and it is unlikely that he will ever hit it again due to him smartly wanting to protect himself, so this might now be retired sadly.
3 3. Phenomenal Forearm
When AJ Styles arrived in WWE everyone was expecting him to use the Styles Clash as his main finishing move, which he did for a while, but then all of a sudden he proved he wasn't done creating new moves as he bust out the Phenomenal Forearm.
WWE decided to ban AJ's traditional finisher for a brief time until Chris Jericho helped convince WWE to bring it back, but Styles clearly had a backup plan with the Phenomenal Forearm, which is a great move in its own right.
Styles is able to get the fans drawn in by pulling on his elbow pad, and it is a finishing move that he is able to hit on any wrestler regardless of their size, which is always a positive.
2 2. Springboard 450
While AJ Styles is a brilliant mat-based wrestler who can technically match up with the likes of Daniel Bryan, that doesn't mean he is restricted to doing so, as AJ can actually hit some brilliant highflying moves as well.
You would think at his age, Styles might start slowing down with highflying maneuvers but that hasn't been the case, as AJ quite often busts out the Springboard 450 Splash, and it always gets an amazing reaction.
AJ has also taken the move to new heights in WWE, instead of going into the ring he has jumped out of it at times, landing the move on the outside, even doing so through a table against Dean Ambrose, making this a firm fan favorite.
1 1. Styles Clash
What else could take the number one spot? The Styles Clash is a fantastic move that works as a brilliant finisher, looking impactful every single time he hits it with move feeling like it is worthy of ending a match.
Some finishers can appear weak and leave fans questioning whether or not it should be finishing a match, but that isn't the case with the Styles Clash as he plants down a wrestler face-first onto the mat.
Whilst AJ can't hit this on everybody, as he is never going to be able to do this move to someone much bigger than him like The Undertaker. However, he has hit it on bigger men such as Samoa Joe and that always gets an insane reaction, not to mention the fantastic reversals he is capable of to set this up. Put simply, it's a thing of beauty.