AJ Styles Isn’t Sure He Would’ve Continued Wrestling If He Took WWE’s Developmental Deal In 2002

Ishaan SharmaMay 3, 2026, 11:00 pm

AJ Styles isn’t sure if he would’ve continued wrestling had he taken WWE’s developmental contract offer in 2002.

Most fans consider Royal Rumble 2016 to be the place where AJ Styles made his WWE debut. But this wasn’t the first time he had worked for them. In the 2000s, Styles worked a few dates for them, including a match against The Hurricane (Shane Helms) on an episode of WWE Jakked. The Phenomenal One was offered a developmental deal at that time, but he turned it down.

Speaking on The Phenomenally Retro Podcast, Styles talked about getting a developmental contract from WWE in 2002.

“So after WCW goes out of business, I was given an opportunity to wrestle Shane Helms. We had a great match. I wrestled another guy. Then they had me go to a camp WWE did. Maybe it was HWA in Cincinnati, and a lot of us had a trial. It was that whole time, and they didn’t care. In fact, they told me, ‘I don’t need to see all this high flying. I don’t need to see all that.’ Now, I understand why. I know what they were trying to see. Anyway, I was offered that deal. I’ll have you know, some guys did take that deal. I did not.

It was for $500 a week, which is barely able to afford anything. My wife Wendy was at home, I wasn’t leaving her. That’s not the way this works. But HWA closed down as a developmental area, I want to say, like 5 months after that. I guarantee you, I would have been shut out with them.

This is before Daniel Bryan had showed up and kind of changed things as a guy our size. They really weren’t used that well. I don’t even know. I guess maybe Eddie and that group of WCW guys… I don’t know how they were being used at that time. But I’m so happy that things didn’t work out, that I actually made a good decision and didn’t take that contract, because then it was months later that TNA started up in 2002. It was June of 2002 when it started up. It was like two months after the trial as a fact. So it worked out exactly the way it should for me. I don’t think I would have went anywhere if I would have accepted that contract.”

Later, Styles was asked if he would’ve continued wrestling if he had taken that deal.

“No. Because I’d been down that road before when WCW closed. I mean, who knows? But then, this crazy place TNA opens up. Maybe I would have gone there. I don’t know.”