If there’s one man who “didn’t want none” when it came to squaring up against “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, it was James Ellsworth. Well, in the beginning. Thanks to the help from another titan in the company, former WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose (AEW’s Jon Moxley), Ellsworth carried a chip on his shoulder, when he beat Styles in three out of their four matches featured throughout “WWE SmackDown” in 2016. Although Styles took several losses, he absolutely loved their brief rivalry. 

“I freaking loved it,” the former WWE Grand Slam Champion said on his “Phenomenally Retro Podcast.” “The fans were thoroughly, thoroughly entertained by that, by these matches and stuff with James Ellsworth. The pop that he got when he finally superkicks me and almost beats me, like, this is entertainment, man. This is what we do. You guys are worried about wins and losses. I’m worried about whether or not you show up at the next show…As crazy and as goofy as it was, we were putting butts in seats.”

Eventually, the glory of Ellworth’s run of beating the then WWE Champion three straight times faded in their fourth contest, as Ellworth’s “No Chin Music” superkick along with the lack of Ambrose’s assistance weren’t enough to secure a potential 4-0 undefeated streak against the now Hall of Famer. In under a minute on December 20, 2016, Styles conquered his former foe, and left him in the dust ahead of the new year.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “The Phenomenally Retro Podcast” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.