AJ Styles has offered what amounts to the highest possible compliment a heel act can receive from a veteran performer, saying Fatal Influence made him angry in the best possible way during their opening weeks on SmackDown.
Speaking on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, the recently retired Hall of Famer described his reaction to watching the group’s debut on the blue brand.
“Well, what I like about that group is they look like the kind of people that would bully my daughter. Yeah. That makes me mad. And so I was like, ‘Oh, I was like, they’re doing so good.’ You know, it’s the opposite of how I would feel, but knowing what they’re doing and how they’re doing their job and they’re doing it well. ‘This is it.’ And so I’m like, ‘All right, keep doing what you’re doing. This is good. This is good stuff,'” Styles said.
Fatal Influence, consisting of Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid, officially transitioned to the SmackDown main roster after WrestleMania 42. Their debut episode saw them interrupt Paige and Brie Bella’s Women’s Tag Team Championship match before Jayne confronted and faced Rhea Ripley in a singles match, drawing immediate heel heat from the crowd. Last week, Jayne defeated Charlotte Flair with assistance from Reid and Henley, further establishing the group’s position on the brand.
For Jayne specifically, the call-up marked a return to the main roster after her previous appearance in the Women’s Tag Team Titles Tournament alongside Gigi Dolin in August 2022.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit the Phenomenally Retro Podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
