Note on Dragon Lee Getting Permission from AJ Styles to Use the Styles Clash

Many great wrestlers owe their signature moves to other greats who have retired. To cite but one example, the Undertaker’s “Old School” walking the ropes came from the Spoiler, and his heart punch when he was still Mean Mark came from Ox Baker. The key is to get permission from the legends. And now that AJ Styles is officially a retired legend, he has given former tag team partner Dragon Lee permission to use his signature Styles Clash.

Styles has had many partners over the years, but it’s safe to say that the Styles Clash will work better for Dragon Lee than, say, Omos.

Lee described the honor of obtaining permission in an interview with Joey Karni. As transcribed by Figure Four Online, this is what he said:

“Being with the greatest of all time here and now, being with the greatest of all time, AJ Styles. It’s something like nobody give it to me. I earned every single opportunity because I’ve been doing my 100% what I’m telling you every single time when I step in the ring.””

“Now I took the Styles Clash as honor from AJ but not because I choose it. I asked and he told me, ‘You’re my brother, do it’ because you know I earn the respect from the locker room but earn the respect from legend like Rey (Mysterio), like AJ, that’s unbelievable for me.”

Lee and Styles were WWE Tag Team Champions last winter, leading some fans to joke that they should be known as “AJ Lee.”