5 Reasons Why The Phenomenal Forearm Is AJ Styles' Best Finisher (& 5 Why It's The Styles Clash)

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That AJ Styles continues to use both The Phenomenal Forearm and the Styles Clash years after this article was first published just goes to show you why the two finishing maneuvers are both well-loved and critically acclaimed by his peers and fans alike. That Styles is still able to perform both moves despite how long he's been wrestling is also a credit to the former WWE Champion's longevity. The Styles Clash is used sparingly nowadays since it is deemed a little too dangerous by certain higher-ups in WWE, but that just means it feels even more special when The Phenomenal One dusts it off.

Highlights

The Phenomenal Forearm is AJ Styles' best move because it is synonymous with his WWE success and showcases his athleticism.
The Styles Clash is more dangerous but also more exciting, as it wows the crowd and can be protected by Styles in case of incorrect execution.
The Phenomenal Forearm is great for counters and adds fun to the end of a match, while the Styles Clash is named after AJ Styles and is an innovative move that sets him apart.

AJ Styles has become one of WWE's most important wrestlers. His incredible career saw him find success almost everywhere before finally joining the biggest promotion in the world. Styles is arguably the greatest star in Impact Wrestling history and one of the best American wrestlers to find fame in New Japan. A career in which he has used multiple finishers throughout.

Here, we will look at the differences between those finishers; the Phenomenal Forearm and the Styles Clash, making the case for why each is better than the other. Styles has won countless huge matches with both finishers. Fans will have their own preference, and now it's time to make up your mind. Below are five reasons why the Phenomenal Forearm is Styles’ best move, and five reasons why it's the Styles Clash.

UPDATE: 2023/08/12 07:30 EST BY JOSH COULSON

That AJ Styles continues to use both The Phenomenal Forearm and the Styles Clash years after this article was first published just goes to show you why the two finishing maneuvers are both well-loved and critically acclaimed by his peers and fans alike. That Styles is still able to perform both moves despite how long he's been wrestling is also a credit to the former WWE Champion's longevity. The Styles Clash is used sparingly nowadays since it is deemed a little too dangerous by certain higher-ups in WWE, but that just means it feels even more special when The Phenomenal One dusts it off.

10 Phenomenal Forearm: It's Synonymous With His WWE Success

WWE is where AJ Styles started using the Phenomenal Forearm as a finisher. Vince McMahon wasn’t sold on the Styles Clash, likely because of the risk it posed to the wrestlers taking it. In response, Styles started to use the Forearm as a finisher rather than a secondary move as he'd been doing in other promotions.

The Phenomenal Forearm comes with an added spectacle that the Styles Clash doesn't have while showing off Style's athleticism. The visual many were left with when Styles beat Jinder Mahal for the WWE Title was the veteran flying off the top rope and connecting with The Modern Day Maharajah right before covering him for the win.

9 Styles Clash: It's A More Dangerous Move

The danger that comes with using the Styles Clash can be viewed as both a good thing and a bad thing. Wrestlers taking the move risk injury as they must go against what they're taught, needing to throw their head back rather than tuck it, the latter being what they need to do when taking almost every other high-impact maneuver.

The bright side is a dangerous move is one that wows and gets a reaction from the crowd every time it's used. Styles is also skilled enough to protect someone not taking the move correctly at the last second. Styles famously prevented James Ellsworth getting seriously injured by protecting his opponent at the last second when taking the move, a moment caught on camera in the photo above.

8 Phenomenal Forearm: It's Great For Counters

The Phenomenal Forearm is a better finisher to use when there's a need for the opponent to hit Styles with a counter. There's enough time while Styles is flying through the air to allow the wrestler to quickly react and counter the finisher.

A couple of examples of wrestlers who have hit great counters to stop it are Randy Orton and Roman Reigns. Orton countered the forearm into an RKO out of nowhere, while Reigns timed it perfectly as well to counter with a spear. A finisher that can be countered adds fun to the end of a match, and while it might not be Seth Rollins' stomp being flipped into an RKO at WrestleMania, it certainly makes for some fantastic visuals.

7 Styles Clash: It's Named After Him

Any wrestler would love to have a move named after them, especially if it's a good one. Styles is lucky enough to have that apply to him thanks to his incredibly successful finisher following him around for his entire career. The matches he's had and titles he's won with the Styles Clash have rendered it worthy of carrying The Phenomenal One's name.

Other wrestlers have attempted to use the Styles Clash over the years, but unlike the Stunner and the DDT, it would need a complete name change if someone wanted to start using it as their own finisher. Unless someone gets bold and renames it, AJ will always be the person fans associate with the Styles Clash.

6 Phenomenal Forearm: It's Easily Messed Up

Perhaps the biggest downside of the Styles Clash is that it has caused a few noteworthy injuries. Styles has reduced the risk of injuries from his finishers by promoting the Phenomenal Forearm, however, the move is still very easy to get wrong if not done exactly right.

Any move that requires the wrestler to jump onto the top rope and immediately bounce off into a strike on their opponent is going to carry an element of risk. Styles has slipped on occasion, but the man is so talented, you know almost anyone else brave enough to have this move in their arsenal would have a far lower success rate.

5 Styles Clash: It Can Be Switched Up

Styles has used a few different variations of the Styles Clash over the course of his career. Everyone knows the traditional version of the move used most of the time. However, Styles tries to mix it up in bigger matches or ones that allow the use of weapons to make it feel even more special.

Some of the variations see him hitting the move from the top rope into the ring or off the ring apron to force his opponent through a table. Impact was where Styles experimented with the move most, although we've seen him hit it onto a steel chair or two in WWE. Fans always love seeing a new twist on a move they see a lot, especially one that has been in circulation as long as the Styles Clash.

4 Phenomenal Forearm: It Makes Use Of Styles' Gloves

AJ Styles has made a lot of money for WWE selling the gloves he competes in as merchandise for fans to buy at live events. His gloves also come in handy during matches occasionally. It is a perfect mix of something useful that fans also want to buy.

Styles adjusts one of his gloves and then uses the gloves to hold on to the top rope for leverage when jumping before hitting the Phenomenal Forearm. The move is the perfect finisher to make small use of the gloves and remind you that they are part of his look since most wrestlers don’t wear them. Many fans own a pair of these gloves, although we recommend you only use them to show your love for Styles rather than hitting people with the Phenomenal Forearm. Don't try this at home, school, or anywhere, after all.

3 Styles Clash: It Fueled His Success In Impact And New Japan

The Styles Clash was the finisher Styles used before eventually signing with WWE in 2016. Styles utilized the finisher to win huge matches in Impact, New Japan, and pretty much everywhere else he wrestled. The Styles Clash became the most popular move in Impact during his rise to the top of the company.

A move to New Japan saw the fans treat the finisher with even more respect since Japanese fans take the sport of pro wrestling more seriously than most, not to mention it looks like a brutal move to take. Styles made a legacy in two different companies thanks to the success of the Styles Clash.

2 Phenomenal Forearm: It Builds Anticipation

The anticipation of the fans as a wrestler builds to using a finisher is one of the most important aspects of a finishing move. Styles has found great success in that arena thanks to the Phenomenal Forearm. Once Styles is standing on the ring apron waiting for his opponent to get back up in the ring, everyone knows what’s coming next.

The crowd pops before he hits the move and reacts strongly after the execution making it an ideal finisher, especially when performing it in front of the lights and cameras of WWE. Styles does a great job setting it up to make sure everyone in the venue knows what he's about to do, getting the crowd suitably riled up.

1 Styles Clash: It's Innovative

Wrestling’s long history makes it almost impossible for wrestlers to come up with new moves. Most of what you see in the present day is either a modified version of something that has been used before or a straight-up reuse of an old move. Styles managed to find something entirely original when creating the Styles Clash, a move that not only wasn't being used in TNA at the time, but had never been seen before in a wrestling ring full stop.

Fans likely wondered why no one had thought of the move before. Perhaps everyone to come before simply lacked the innovation Styles had, not to mention his savvy in naming the move after himself. Every wrestler wants to blaze their own path, and the Styles Clash is just one of the ways in which The Phenomenal One has managed to do that.