AJ Styles is renowned as one of the world’s most famous wrestlers, thanks to his incredible “Phenomenal Forearm” and “Calf Crusher” moves. A title bout against Roman Reigns at WWE Payback 2016 was the highlight of Phenomenal’s career because that was his debut year for WWE.
Despite being a professional English wrestler on WWE TV, it’s hard to label him as a college graduate. While most people know that he dropped out of college, interestingly, his followers who are not graduates have learned the definition of “clout” from him.
AJ Styles educates fans on the word “clout”
WWE Superstars don’t typically have a reputation for being well-educated. Many people mistakenly believe that a career in wrestling doesn’t require much schooling or a degree. While it’s not a prerequisite, several stars actually hold degrees from prestigious universities. On the other hand, wrestlers like AJ Styles, who lack degrees, dropped out of school to pursue their careers in professional wrestling.
When it comes to degrees, WWE wrestlers often use slang terms to tease each other in the ring, and the audience is expected to grasp the meaning behind these terms.
However, ‘clout’ isn’t a newly coined term; instead, it’s an ancient word with political origins dating back to the 1860s, signifying ‘influence’ or ‘power.’ The audience appreciates AJ’s effort to explain a term from another era.
Clout……The slang appears early as the 1860s for “political influence,” apparently based on a centuries-old sense of clout meaning “punch” or “force.” A person with clout can get things done on Capitol Hill or Wall Street. https://t.co/rbvSFsUOyk
— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) September 9, 2023
Even after dropping out of college, one might wonder how he managed to decipher the meaning of that historical phrase. He tweeted, ‘Clout… The slang dates as far back as the 1860s, signifying ‘political influence,’ seemingly derived from an age-old sense of ‘clout,’ meaning ‘punch’ or ‘force.’ A person with clout can make things happen on Capitol Hill or Wall Street.”
“The phenomenal one” educational background
One of the world’s top professional wrestlers, A.J. Styles, also known as Allen Neal Jones, is celebrated for his in-ring skills and his portrayal of various characters. He was born on June 2, 1977, in North Carolina, USA, and endured a challenging childhood marked by his father’s abusive behavior due to alcoholism.
He graduated from Johnson High School in Georgia and received a college scholarship for wrestling in South Carolina. Styles took on odd jobs such as driving and water delivery to make ends meet. He made a pivotal decision to forego his final year at Anderson University in favor of pursuing a career in professional wrestling.
How do you feel now that you’ve brushed up on some 18th-century jargon? Comment if you agree or disagree that AJ Styles has a larger vocabulary than you do.
