(speedy rock music)
- [Voiceover] Every tattoo is a story waiting to be told.
I'm Corey Graves and I'm here at Hope Gallery
in New Haven, Connecticut.
We've seen a lot of Superstars and tattoos and heard
a lot of stories, but today's edition is
nothing short of phenomenal.
This is Superstar Ink and today's chapter, AJ Styles.
So it's crazy, we were talkin a little bit earlier,
we didn't realize how long we've actually known each other,
it's been, what did you say,
14 years? - [Styles] 14 years.
- [Graves] I remember when I first met AJ Styles
you were this clean cut gentleman,
you had short hair, no tattoos.
Now, 14 years later, you've got long hair,
you've got a beard and worst of all you have a tattoo.
- First of all, I just don't look my age,
that's why I grew my hair out and stuff like that.
Second, I've always liked tattoos,
I wanted it to mean something when I finally got one
and at the grand old age of 32 I decided
I want my kids initials and birthdays.
It's my boys and then their birthdays.
Now, I have to get a fourth one because
we had a little girl.
- [Voiceover] What's her name?
- [Voiceover] Anney.
All my kids start with an A and end with a Y.
There's Ajay, Avery, and Albey, so we gotta get Anney.
I'm hoping to do something a little different with this one,
you know, it's my little girl.
- [Voiceover] Well AJ, I think we're in the right place.
I want you to meet a very good friend of mine,
one of my favorite tattoo artists, Joe Capobianco,
he owns the place.
I think Joe's gonna take very good care of you,
Joe, you think you got this?
Think you can handle this?
- Yeah, I can handle this.
We're just adding to something you already have right?
- Right.
It's my little girl, I wanna do something that says,
"Oh, that must be a little girl tattoo," her birthday.
- I would recommend we match the numbers
as best as possible.
A little bit more girly, maybe do a little bow
or something like that.
- That sounds perfect.
- She doesn't really have a favorite color yet
so we'll pick that for her.
- Yeah, that sounds good to me.
- Sounds great.
(synth music)
- [Voiceover] Bringin back all kinds of nice memories?
- [Voiceover] Yeah, it's annoying.
- [Voiceover] The things we do for our little girls.
- [Voiceover] This is just the beginning.
- [Voiceover] Does anybody like needles?
I don't know how to explain it, how do you explain it?
- [Voiceover] It's like scratching sunburn.
- [Voiceover] That's good.
- That's the way I always figure it was best described.
- Certain areas are worst than others.
This in all honesty is not a great area
to get tattooed in.
Probably in the top five hardest areas
to get tattooed pain wise.
- [Voiceover] That feels like it's right on my hip.
- [Voiceover] It is right on your hip.
(laughs)
That's gonna sting.
It's a bit alcohol, just helps take the stencil off.
- [Voiceover] I'm feeling very similar to,
where like standing beside my wife's bed
trying to ease her through child birth right now,
this is a very similar feeling.
Poor AJ.
- [Voiceover] Is there any point,
once she was having the baby that she almost passed out?
- No, I did my best to stay up around the shoulder region
cause I just didn't wanna...
- [Voiceover] I had to grab a leg and help.
- [Voiceover] No.
- [Voiceover] Yeah, I had to grab a leg man.
And so when it was go time my leg started to buckle,
my knee started to give in and I was like, "Holy crap!"
and I had to back up, take a deep breath,
like, "Alright, let's do this."
My wife's the one having the baby, not me,
but I was so nervous for her,
that she was gonna be in pain and stuff like that,
it really bothered me, you know?
- I don't know if you were aware of this AJ
but you are the very first Superstar in the history,
the brief history, but the history of Superstar Ink
to be tattooed on camera.
This should be a pivotal moment,
at least in the day, I don't know about in your career
or anything but it's a pretty big moment.
- All the black on the numbers are done,
now we're gonna start the bow,
we're gonna do like a purplish-pink you said right?
- Yep.
I feel every little line I think on this one.
- [Voiceover] Just grit your teeth and smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
- I think with small tattoos is you tend to feel em
the entire tattoo.
Usually a larger tattoo you feel the very beginning
and then your endorphins kick in and you're like,
"Oh, this ain't bad."
- Despite what people may think, I don't enjoy this.
- [Voiceover] And that's it, we're good.
All done.
- [Voiceover] You survived man.
I think you should keep it.
- Just long as it's the right date.
- Nine, eight, 14 right?
(laughs)
- [Voiceover] His heart just stopped.
(hip hop beat)
- [Voiceover] You like it?
- Yeah.
You did a great job.
I like that little bow too man.
- [Voiceover] Yeah, that'll brighten up too
as it heals up.
Right now you got a little bit of blood comin through it
so the purples and pinks tend to look a little bit darker.
- [Voiceover] It's cool, that little bow is just enough,
that's cool man.
Well AJ, your family tree tattooed on your side
is now complete.
In the event you decide to have another one,
we know where we'll come.
- We're comin to Joe.
- Would you say that as far as tattoo artists go,
he's phenomenal?
- He's got tricks.
(laughs)
- Definitely phenomenal, for sure.
- Well if he has more kids he'll be back,
I'll be back regardless.
Thanks for hanging out AJ,
thanks for getting tattooed for the show,
Joe Capobianco, the Phenomenal AJ Styles,
I'm Corey Graves, we will see you next time on
Superstar Ink.