AJ Styles recently did an interview with Dave Lagreca and Mike Riker on SiriusXM’s Busted Open. Below are a few highlights.
On resigning with TNA:
“Here is the reality. I love TNA. I grew up there. It’s who I am. You said it before when people think of TNA, they think of A.J. Styles. I take pride in that. But something has to change and I want to be there. I don’t know any other way to say it. I love the place. I’m not saying I love what happened to it but I love that place and I want to see it grow. I know we have the talent. We have everything we need. The puzzle is not put together yet but once you get those pieces in there, you will see how it connects. Then you will be like: ‘Wow, we really got something’ but we need someone in charge that knows what to do with it once they see what’s going together well.”
On what he would do if he was in charge:
“Well, there would be some guys that we can bring in. We need to open up. The one thing that separated TNA from the beginning was the talent. The fact that they were from all over the world, from a lot of different states, having different wrestling styles. When you’re from the south, it’s a little different. When you’re from the Northeast, it’s a little different. When you’re from the West Coast, it’s a little different and that’s what was so great about TNA. We had guys from all over the nation and doing all different styles of wrestling and that’s what separated everyone else. We weren’t cookie cutters. We were all different and I think we need to bring that back. We can’t be focused on certain people. Don’t get me wrong, there is talent in the other place that can definitely come here and do well in TNA. But there are also talents in the independent circuit that deserve a chance too. I’m not saying they need to come here for a terrible contract to whatever it is. Give them a credible contract and come in here and show these people what they’ve been doing on the independents and doing well. We got to open up that door for younger talent to come in here because I was one of the first guys here and I’m getting older.”
On Hulk Hogan:
“I think he opens up doors that we may or may not be able to open. I think that’s the biggest thing with Hulk Hogan. But we got to know on how to utilize him, use him and make the best out of Hulk Hogan. If we are going to sign him, he’s got to help us out. ‘We will scratch his back and he’ll scratch ours.'”
