AJ Styles finally revealed the story behind one of the most debated moments from his 2024 feud with Cody Rhodes. According to AJ, the controversial Burning Hammer spot at Backlash France wasn’t Cody’s idea at all—it was his, and he ended up taking heat for it backstage.
Speaking with Cody Rhodes on What Do You Wanna Talk About?, the conversation turned to wrestlers using “fighting spirit” comebacks after taking devastating moves. AJ said those moments can work, but only when they’re used at the right time instead of becoming a regular part of every match. That led AJ to bring up one moment Cody knew exactly where he was going with.
“You did it. Hey, do you know how much heat I got for having you do it I knew it was coming up. I knew it was the Burning Hammer.”
AJ then revealed the biggest detail. Cody firing up after taking the move wasn’t something Cody decided to do on his own. AJ said he was the one who suggested it because he felt their match needed a major moment.
“I suggested that he fire up out of that one, right? I believe. Man, I think that was on me, because we needed something big. And yeah, I know it’s the Burning Hammer, but it’s AJ Styles’ Burning Hammer, so it’s not Kenta Kobashi’s Burning Hammer. It’s way different. It’s not the same. I can’t do it as well as him, obviously.”
Cody said he’s heard plenty of criticism over the years, but his usual response has been that the Burning Hammer wasn’t even one of AJ’s established finishers. More importantly, he wanted to make it clear the idea came directly from AJ and praised him for always looking to evolve their matches.
“I mean, my joke was, whenever I’m asked about it or I think about getting a little salty with it, my joke is always, ‘Well, it’s not AJ’s finish.’ It wasn’t, you know?”
“AJ busted it out for the first time ever. And I’m glad you have—I am really glad you brought this up, because it was something that you suggested, and it was wonderful that you suggested it. And it was something to try and something to have. I love a challenge. I love a development.”
According to Cody, that mindset was present throughout every match they had together. Whether it was a live event or a premium live event, AJ constantly pushed for something new instead of repeating what had already worked.
“You were really big on development when we worked, and we worked live events. We worked multiple PLEs, pay-per-view, whatever we worked. And you were really big on development, which, at the time, I couldn’t have been more grateful.
I’m already honored and positioned to wrestle you, as Steve Austin put it, ‘the greatest wrestler on two feet.’ So I’m already in a really great position to do that and be with somebody that refuses to have anything bad, refuses to have good. You’re great only. And if it’s not great, then you’re mad at yourself. So that was a great position to be in. But you were really big on testing me, pushing me.”
What many fans believed for years was Cody Rhodes deciding to fire up after AJ Styles’ Burning Hammer turned out to have a very different story behind it. According to both men, the controversial spot was AJ’s idea from the beginning—and one that earned him some unexpected backstage heat.
What do you think of AJ Styles revealing the Burning Hammer spot was actually his idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
