The inspiration for AJ Styles' finishing move came from a failed powerbomb attempt.
Speaking to Ganelyn Mendoza of ITN Wrestling, Styles shared the origin story of his "Styles Clash" finisher, saying the following:
“Well, my little brother was trying to powerbomb his buddy on the trampoline. He’s dangling upside down. They’re talking to each other, And I go, oh, and I walked over there and my little brother took the first-ever Styles Clash on a trampoline.”
Styles debuted in WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble and has since held the WWE Championship two times. In addition to the Styles Clash, AJ has also used the "Calf Crusher" and "Phenomenal Forearm" as match ending maneuvers.
On January 4, 2021, Styles announced in a digital exclusive that he is entering the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match. A full list of participants can be found here.
If you're interested in learning more about other wrestlers' signature moves, Fightful's Making A Finisher series goes in-depth with the performers themselves as they explain their moves, discuss how they were developed, who took it the best, the worst, why they stopped doing some of them, and the psychology behind them. Past editions feature names such as Mick Foley, Kevin Owens, Victoria, "Hangman" Adam Page, and many more!
