AJ Styles believes Ryan Garcia’s controversial WWE Raw appearance came down to one thing: WWE is now part of the TKO machine, and crossover appearances are going to happen whether every segment works or not.
Speaking on The AJ Styles Show, Styles addressed the awkward Joe Hendry and Danhausen musical segment from the July 27 episode of Raw. Garcia later became involved by smashing Hendry with a guitar and joining Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh in attacking Hendry, Danhausen and the Minihausens.
Styles admitted he didn’t understand why Garcia was inserted into the angle. Co-host Tony Charles then pointed to Garcia’s connection to TKO’s boxing interests, giving Styles a clearer idea of why WWE gave the boxer such a prominent role. Styles said WWE’s place under the TKO umbrella means viewers should expect the company to keep mixing talent and personalities from its other businesses into wrestling programming.
“There you go. There you go, guys. Yeah, this is who WWE is at the moment right now. They’re aligned with TKO, and there are going to be certain things that they try to work in together.”
Styles didn’t claim every crossover would be a success. He said WWE is going to test different ideas, and some of them will leave people wishing they had never happened. Styles also made it clear he wasn’t personally attacking Garcia or choosing who WWE should bring onto television. His point was that these appearances are now part of how the company operates.
“Some stuff’s going to work. Some people will wish it never happened. You never know until you try.”
“I’m not saying anything about who they’re bringing in. I’m just saying it’s going to happen.”
His comments come after Fightful Select stated that Garcia’s involvement was not welcomed by everyone backstage. Garcia was not treated like a celebrity guest sitting in the crowd. WWE placed him directly into a featured SummerSlam angle alongside The Judgment Day despite his history of racist comments and other public controversies.
Dave Meltzer previously argued on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE was willing to look past Garcia’s baggage because the boxer could bring outside attention to the company and help promote his next fight.
“They’re promoting his fight, and that was their idea of getting publicity, getting him on SportsCenter and getting them into the mainstream, because to them, a guy like Ryan Garcia is mainstream.”
Styles’ explanation doesn’t erase the backlash or the concerns from wrestlers backstage, but it does offer a blunt reason for why Garcia was there. WWE and TKO see value in cross-promotion, and Styles expects more of it even when the final product falls flat.
Do you agree with AJ Styles that appearances like Ryan Garcia’s are simply part of WWE’s future under TKO, or should the company be more selective about who it puts on television? Leave your feedback in the comments.
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