AJ Styles Defends NARAKU Starting in WWE NXT Amid Fan Backlash

TLDR

AJ Styles defended NARAKU's decision to start in WWE NXT instead of going directly to the main roster, explaining that international wrestlers need time to learn WWE's specific television production system. Speaking on the Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles compared NARAKU's path to Shinsuke Nakamura's NXT run and noted that WWE's focus on camera positioning and production cues differs significantly from wrestling in Japan. NARAKU debuted on the April 28 episode of NXT by confronting Tony D'Angelo and has already scored a dominant victory on the May 12 edition.