AJ Styles spent years building his legacy in TNA Wrestling, but Leon Slater has his sights set on taking his place. The reigning TNA World Champion isn’t hiding the fact that he wants to become the next defining name in the company’s history, even if that means surpassing the man many still consider the face of TNA.
During an interview with Wrestling Life, Slater reflected on his encounter with Styles at TNA Slammiversary 2025. The moment meant a great deal to Slater, especially considering how much Styles accomplished during his time with the promotion. Slater explained that Styles remains synonymous with TNA, but he also made it clear that he wants to change that by building a legacy of his own.
“When you really put it into perspective of the company that I work for, the company that I’m currently the world champion of, was on the back of this man for years. He is the TNA guy. Even to this day, he is the TNA guy, and of course, I’m trying to overtake him as that.”
What made their Slammiversary encounter even more meaningful was the fact that Styles didn’t have to give Slater any attention. After spending more than a decade away from TNA, Styles could have simply appeared before the crowd and left it at that. Instead, he used his return to recognize Slater and his potential.
“He is legendary and he hadn’t been in the company that he built for over a decade. He could have come back and gone out on the stage and waved his hand and said ‘Hi, thanks for coming to Slamversary,’ but he chose to spend that time not only with me, but to sing my praises. When you put it like that, it really is just unbelievable to think about.”
Styles was one of the driving forces behind TNA’s X-Division during his nearly 12 years with the company. When he appeared alongside Slater at Slammiversary, he acknowledged names such as Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Amazing Red, and Homicide before declaring Slater the future of the division.
Since then, Slater has continued adding to his accomplishments, including a victory over Nic Nemeth at Bound For Glory to become the youngest TNA World Champion in company history.
Now Slater has an even bigger goal. He doesn’t just want to collect championships or follow in Styles’ footsteps. He wants his name to become just as closely associated with TNA as Styles’ name has been for years.
And that’s a pretty ambitious target considering what Styles accomplished during his time with the company. But Slater isn’t looking to erase that history. He’s looking to build something big enough that the next generation associates TNA Wrestling with his name.
Can Leon Slater eventually surpass AJ Styles’ legacy and become the defining face of TNA Wrestling, or has Styles already set a standard that’s impossible to match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
