Hey AJ!

Man, where to start? In 2018, there´s an anniversary to come. Because I´m your fan for ten years then. Ten! Wow, time goes by.

Back in 2008, I was 22 years old and a lucky german wrestling mark. But I was someone who got more and more unsatisfied with the actual WWE program. At this time, I was much involved in social media and used things like Windows Live Messenger and german online communities. I began to write with a boy about wrestling, he was about 14 years old. We both began to dislike the WWE program and wrote about it, just to discover a company called TNA Wrestling that has been aired at a german TV channel. We discovered it by accident, and we began to talk about it. There were a lot of cool guys at this time; we´ve seen a quite impressive guy called Abyss who looked awesome with his black mask. His hardcore matches were always a must see! We´ve seen the Beautiful People and fell in love with Velvet Sky. She later began a relationship with Chris Sabin and we never understood her! There was also a big guy from the island of Samoa, called Samoa Joe. A kickass guy you know? And Christopher Daniels who was an outstanding athlete with an amazing mic work. That guy was the leader of the X Division! Or not? Maybe I forgot about someone right now? Let me think.. Oh yes, of course: Suicide! His Venom-style mask and wrestling skills were impressive. What? He was portrayed by Daniels as well for some time? Like I said before, Daniels is an outstanding guy! But he is not as good as Curry Man is. But damn, I´m sure I still forgot somebody. Maybe the guy with the most fans, the guy who was bearing the company on his shoulders? What? No! Not Kurt Angle! I guess it was.. you, AJ! I was talking with my friend about you and I said ´AJ Styles is awesome´ and he replied ´Yes he is!´. That simple statement was the start of my life as a fan of AJ Styles.

Me and my friend, his name is Steffen.. you know, it was also the start of a long-year friendship. Especially in 2009, our friendship got stronger. TNA was on tour through Germany and we were hoping to see you live, but sadly you didn´t come. We made a crazy trip from our city, Berlin, to a small town called Chemnitz. We´ve seen some amazing matches, like Rhyno vs. Hernandez or a 3-way-dance with Awesome Kong, Velvet Sky and Taylor Wilde. The three girls were joking in the middle of the match and began to laugh! Unprofessional? No, it made them much more likeable! Oh and the British Invasion was also there, stating they would never come back to Germany! It was an amazing evening and a more crazy night. When we came back to Berlin the next day, at 8 in the morning after travelling by train half of the night (the other half we had to wait at the icy cold station of Leipzig), we just died at home in our beds. But it was worth every single moment. He was just about 15 and I was 23, feeling I had to care about him during that trip.
We watched every episode of Impact and all the PPVs. It was a great time when you held the TNA Tag Team Titles with Chris Daniels, just to lose them to LAX in that brutal cage match - a moment I don´t want to remember, because all the fans where so disappointed about your loss. You and Daniels were not a simple tag team, you were a real dream team. Oh, and I remember your matches against Matt Morgan, maybe your biggest nemesis ever. You had to take a lot of hard bumps from him, but you were able to beat him for at least one time with a surprise cover he was unable to kickout from. And, well, the story with you, Kurt and Karen.. how can somebody love her? She was such a sneaky snake! That scene with you at the toilet room when J.B. came in to interview you.. and ODB was also there. What the hell?! BAM! It really made me laugh man, an epic scene. No wonder you got some trouble with Kurt *lol* Later, you got Ric Flair by your side. Man, you looked stupid in that robe. Do you agree? It was nothing that suits you, I guess it´s something that fits somebody perfect or not. Ric´s a good guy, crazy, but good. You improved your mic skills during the time with him. But I guess the friendship to Christopher Daniels was also super helpful for you. No wonder, he is a stage actor as far as I know. Glad you were able to get rid of that robe someday! And there was the storyline with you, Daniels, Kaz and Claire Lynch. As strange as that storyline was, the point when you told her that she should never believe anything from that PRICK Daniels.. man, his face is still epic. One of my most favourite moments.

Back in 2011, TNA came back to Germany for the last time to date. Again, without you! We visited the show of course, but we were disappointed that we couldn´t see you. We really wanted to see the man who made us to friends and the man who is a hero for us. Back in 2010, when Hogan and Bischoff arrived, we were still fans of TNA but we were also worried about the situation. Hogan and Carter did their best to run down the company that was THE hope for every anti-WWE fan. There was still a cool time, when you changed your gimmick and appearance. You looked pretty cool with your longer hair and the new entrance theme from Blues Saraceno. I still can´t believe that Carter let you all go. You, Chris, Joe.. and more people later. All people that build up that genious company with that unique image. After Double JJ had left the company as well, we knew it was over. My friend Steffen stepped away from wrestling since, but I couldn´t. I was watching other shows, but I knew you went to New Japan Pro Wrestling. I was unable to watch NJPW, but I tried to be up-to-date about you. You were the new leader of the Bullet Club, holy shit that was cool! It must have been a great feeling to wrestle against stars like Minoru Suzuki and Hiroshi Tanahashi. It was 2014 and you had some merch on your homepage. I ordered two of your wrist bands (one for me, one for Steffen who was wearing it a lot, even if he wasn´t a big wrestling fan anymore). When the envelope arrived, I´ve read a name on it: Wendy! How cool was that? It made me even more proud. I still have that wrist band in good shape. I really regretted it to not buy all of your TNA shirts or the shirts you had at Pro Wrestling Tees. After your arrival at WWE, I decided to not make that mistake again. Look at my awesome merch collection (more to come)!

New photo: Added january 1st, 2018

Do you notice the only non-WWE shirt on the first photo? It´s your Bullet Club shirt, the most beautiful looking shirt I own. You gave that shirt to me. What? Yeah right.. It was 2015. The yearly World Tag Team Tournament from Westside Xtreme Wrestling was to come. It was the 4th of october, and I decided to travel from Berlin to Oberhausen. I packed in a wonderful person called Domi. We have a strong bond since we´ve met back in 2009. Man, she never liked you. Maybe because I was such a hardcore fan of you? Or maybe because I was dissing her favourite pro wrestler Randy Orton all the time? I really don´t know! :D All I can tell you is that we had a good trip at first. We used an ICE to reach a city near Oberhausen, but then.. a cable fire at our destination station of Essen! So our train had to be redirected and we lost hours of time. Valuable hours, the hours we needed to arrive at our hotel and prepare for the show. In the end, we arrived at the location at the moment the show started - completely stressed and tired. I was hoping to buy something from you, but you were backstage already. Nooo! Domi was so impressed by the wXw merch corner that she didn´t even noticed that Doc was passing our way to say ´Hi!´ to me. That was cool, I really like him. As Festus, as a member of the Aces and Eights or the Bullet Club.. doesn´t matter, he´s awesome! And he sold a Bullet Club shirt to me during the break. But there was still no sign of you! The break was over, and Tommy End arrived in the ring. Followed by you! I was speechless and couldn´t believe you were really there. After seven long years of waiting, I´ve seen you live. What a great match it was. It was a great show in general. During the main event, you were sitting at a table with Doc and Karl for a drink and I was super nervous, didn´t want to talk to you at this moment. Nobody else noticed the three of you, just me and Domi. She made some bad jokes in my direction to treat me a little, I still hate her for this! But then, we decided to go over to you and I asked you to take a photo. At first, you were a little pissed but you were super nice and took the photo with me. After all those years, I was unable to tell you anything - dammit! But Domi asked you if it did hurt to make this tattoo (your huge tattoo with the birthdates of your children). You told her that it did hurt of course, and she was impressed about your honesty. I was asking you if I could buy a shirt, and you brought one to me. Your back did hurt after your match with Tommy. But you still did it for me. You had some problems to go upstairs and Domi called you a poor old man. You were joking about this, trying to get upstairs with the help of the railing. Since that moment, Domi liked you :D You´re a great guy. Next day, we went back to Berlin by bus; a long 10 hour tour. Now I know how difficult it is for you wrestlers to travel around the world. You have all my respect for this. Now I regret my shyness a bit.

A few months later, in january of the year 2016, me and Domi were watching the Royal Rumble. We´ve seen the strange face of Roman Reigns, and a new music that began to play. You arrived at the stage, super shy and dignified. Domi and me were crying tears of joy and proudness while you made your way to the ring where Roman Reigns was awaiting you. The year had just begun and it was the moment of the year already! In this moment, I realized that it was my one and only chance to ever meet you at the wXw show. But I feel happy for you. I don´t really like the WWE for a reason, ´cause I would love to see you showing your whole talent inside of the ring, but I feel happy for the attention you get and the money you can earn for the future. Your starting feud with Y2J is epic now, and your feuds with guys like The Miz, James Ellsworth and Shane McMahon (including that kickass car segment) are also unforgettable. Too bad WWE did not took the chance to let you wrestle against The Undertaker, now it´s too late but it was a so called ´once in a lifetime´ chance. Let´s hope for some unique matches during the next years, WWE is probably your final station in your career. I just follow WWE for you and Kana - she´s incredible. Whenever you make a stop with WWE in Berlin, be sure we will be there.

AJ, believe me that I will always be by your side. No matter where you are, no matter who your opponent is, you are my hero. You´ve earned everything you have now by yourself and you deserve it after your childhood, which wasn´t the easiest. I often tried to get a video games interview with ya, but it never worked out. May the plumber be with you! Thank you for all the great years and thank you for the upcoming ones. I took the chance to write this letter because we never know when it´s too late. Our wonderful earth is in danger right now, the United States as well as Germany. The situations are different, but it doesn´t matter. The voracity for money and power of some people is the reason why our earth may not survive - but hope dies last. Here is our photo, look at my stupid lucky face haha!

Sincerely yours,
Marco /Gordman

08/13/2017