AJ Styles believes fans can blame TKO when things go wrong — but they also need to give them credit when something works.
While speaking on the Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles said TKO will naturally take the blame when things go wrong in WWE because they are in charge. However, he also argued that the company deserves credit when something works.
“But you’ve got to understand—that’s their job, to take the blame for everything that’s going on. That’s their responsibility. Like, well, listen, we are the head of this thing, so we take all the blame.”
The Phenomenal One said criticism is fair when TKO gets something wrong, but people should also acknowledge the positives. He pointed to AAA as an example of something he believes TKO handled well.
“But also, if they do something right, we need to give them praise. Like with Triple A—they did something right, we can praise them for that. With other things, maybe they’ve done wrong—freak it, that kind of sucked.”
Styles then pushed back on the idea that everything involving TKO should be treated negatively, saying there are good things happening even if the company is not perfect. He then added that TKO is a massive company with more going on than just wrestling, so he avoids commenting on things he doesn’t know enough about.
“We’re entitled to opinions and stuff like that, but at the same time, you can’t be boo-face about everything that’s going on, because there are some good things happening with TKO. It’s not going to be perfect all the time—nobody is. But since it’s such a big company, and it’s not just the wrestling part, there are other things going on that are in the media that I don’t really know much about, so I just don’t say anything about it because I don’t know.”
Styles’ comments come after he already pushed back on fans calling him a “TKO defender” over WWE adding more live events. He made it clear then that critics were making assumptions about pay cuts, scheduling, and who would be working those shows. For AJ Styles, the point is simple: TKO can be criticized when things go wrong, but that does not mean every move deserves backlash.
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