AJ Styles doesn’t think WWE ever planned to let him wrestle another match in TNA. In fact, he believes he figured out exactly why moments after making his surprise return at TNA Slammiversary.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Styles was asked whether there was ever a realistic chance of stepping back into a TNA ring for one final match. His answer wasn’t about contracts or WWE saying no. Instead, it came down to a conversation he had backstage that completely changed the way he looked at the situation.
“I don’t think there was ever a possibility of me having a match in TNA, and I think I know why. Because once I did that appearance with Leon, I mean where Chelsea Green came up to me and said, ‘Oh, I would love to go back there and have a match.’ I go, ‘Oh, that’s why I won’t. I’ll never have a match over there, because once you open that door, it’s open now and people are going to want to do it.'”
Styles said Chelsea wasn’t criticizing WWE or complaining about anything. Her comment simply made him realize the position the company would be in if it allowed him to wrestle for TNA. If AJ got a match, others would naturally want the same opportunity.
“So I knew. I knew after talking to Chelsea—and she wasn’t saying anything bad—just the idea of being able to wrestle there would be great again. I knew that it’d never happen.”
The Phenomenal One retired from in-ring competition after losing to GUNTHER at the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier this year and that ultimately shut down any hope of him competing in TNA again.
Looking back, Styles believes his appearance alongside Leon Slater at Slammiversary 2025 was probably always going to be as far as the partnership went for him. For Styles, it wasn’t WWE closing the door with an outright “no.” It was one casual backstage conversation that convinced him the company would never want to set a precedent it couldn’t control.
Do you think WWE should have allowed AJ Styles to wrestle one final match in TNA before he retired? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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