The Nature Boy AJ Styles

While it's true that Ric Flair isn't the original Nature Boy and did copy much of the look and improvised some of the mannerisms from Buddy Rogers, Ric Flair has become the one that's most thought of as the "Nature Boy" by the past few generations of fans. That has to do with no only how well Flair was able to use the Nature Boy moniker and character, but also due to Flair's appearances on television throughout the 80s and 90s.

Buddy Rogers didn't enjoy the same type of exposure that Ric Flair has over the course of his career but while exposure is a factor, it's not THE factor. Flair took Rogers' character and improved upon it in every measurable way. He took the Nature Boy character, made it his own and did it better than Buddy Rogers did. Now, in my view, that is THE factor that ultimately made Ric Flair THE definitive Nature Boy for, what I think is saft to say, the considerable majority of pro wrestling fans.

Now, can AJ Styles pull it off as well as Ric Flair or better? Hell no and for several reasons. One reason brings up the whole bit about television exposure. Generations of fans have grown up with Ric Flair as the Nature Boy and he's been hailed as arguably the greatest overall pro wrestler in history. He's always got to be considered in the top ten at the very very least and everything from his looks, his mannerisms, his wrestling ability, his work on the mic, etc. has contributed to that. If AJ Styles were to try and do anything approaching the Nature Boy gimmick, I think many couldn't help but see him as a cheap copy. Styles is fantastic in the ring but, for me personally, he doesn't have the look, the charisma or the mic ability to pull off the Nature Boy character a fraction as well as Flair did.

If Styles is going to be the next "Nature Boy", if he doesn't AT LEAST do it as well as Flair, it's going to bomb and it could be seen as a real black mark in Styles' overall legacy.