AJ Styles recently spoke to Ring Rust Radio about working with ROH and NJPW, where TNA went wrong, possibly working with WWE and more. You can listen to a clip of the interview in the vide above, check out the full episode by clicking here and you can also read some highlights below.
Ring Rust Radio: You’re perhaps best known for your long, successful stint in TNA. A lot of fans feel like the TNA product has been moving in the wrong direction for the past few years. As someone who was there for the ups and downs, where or why do you think things might have started moving in the wrong direction, and what ultimately led to your departure?
AJ Styles: I think around 2009-10 they were headed in the wrong direction. They were trying to be WWE-lite and you can’t do that, you have to be different. I think that’s where the biggest mistakes were made and they didn’t trust the guys that got them to the ball game in the first place. They had all the talent they needed and didn’t need to bring in other talent. I think people were misinformed about what they could get out of it. The dial never changed when they brought in this higher talent as they thought it would. I will say Christian Cage when he came over was such an asset; he was the start of it. Then they brought in Kurt Angle, which was unbelievable, and they could have stopped there and we would have been fine. They have got to be different and turn it up. If WWE can’t do something because they are publicly traded, then there is your advantage. That just doesn’t apply to TNA, that applies to ROH as well. Everybody can do something different than WWE. I will say ROH wrestling is out of this world and nothing can compete with that. TNA they just have to change it and be different.
Ring Rust Radio: A lot of wrestlers look at WWE as the ultimate goal, and maybe feel like there’s a void in their career if they don’t make it to that point. From your perspective, what more do you need to do to ensure that your career’s complete? Is WWE part of that equation?
AJ Styles: It’s not, it really isn’t. I get to work in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th in front of thousands and thousands of people. That’s pretty awesome. I don’t know about you guys, but the first time I watched New Japan and saw them walk down that long ramp to the ring it was unbelievable. The fact that I get to do that, that is my wrestling moment. I wouldn’t say I would never go to WWE, but if it didn’t happen I wouldn’t go, “Oh man, I missed out. I’m the one guy that missed out.”
Ring Rust Radio: There are a lot of dreams matches fans would love to see from you, but if you could or could have wrestled anybody in history, which would be your top choice? What is your ultimate dream match?
AJ Styles: I think I am going to get the opportunity to have one of my dream matches. I have never wrestled Rey Mysterio one on one. We are going to be in England at Five Star and we are finally going to get the chance to lock up. I’m looking forward to that match, I think it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be entertaining. It’s Rey Mysterio, this guy is amazing. To be able to step in the ring with him, it’s kind of a dream come true for me. Not because I have watched him for so many years, but he is such a great guy and I never had the opportunity to have that match with him. I would have loved to wrestle Eddie Guerrero, but obviously that can’t happen. I think Rey Mysterio is definitely a big one for me.
Ring Rust Radio: What are your impressions of Lucha Underground and is that something that you may be interested in working for?
AJ Styles: Again, where ever the business takes me that is where I will go. Lucha Underground does great and crazy stuff over there, and it’s a little bit of what we talked about with doing something different. Where ever the business takes me, that’s where I am going to go.
