AJ Styles never heard that IMPACT Wrestling released a statement on his moving to WWE.
AJ Styles was Mr. TNA Wrestling for many many years. When he left the company in 2013 following Bound for Glory, his future was uncertain until the day he joined New Japan Pro Wrestling and became a member of Bullet Club.
Eventually, AJ Styles wanted to leave New Japan and come back to the states where his family lived and that is when he joined WWE along with Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Upon rumors circulating that he was headed to WWE, Impact Wrestling released a statement saying that they had conversations with The Club members, but AJ Styles had almost forgotten these statements until speaking with Sean Ross Sapp during Royal Rumble 2022 weekend.
“I had no idea. You just told me. I had no idea they released any kind of statement. They were the furthest thing from my mind at that point in my career. So, why would I even pay attention to it?” AJ pondered.
AJ Styles does admit that they had talked about potentially joining IMPACT but AJ was very happy when talks with WWE proceeded very quickly into him now having been in the company for 6 years.
“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We did have some talks about that. It’s one of those things where I got wind of Shinsuke leaving. I go, ‘Guys, I’m telling you, we might need to move on and I’m ready to get home.’ We had talks. Then I had a talk with Triple H, the ball got rolling so quick. Thank God it did,” he said with great relief.
Speaking of his time with TNA, Sean Ross Sapp mentioned a story that Vince Russo had shared about Dixie Carter wanting AJ Styles to see her personal beautician. AJ does recall this but it was in the early days of TNA Wrestling, when they were still in The Asylum in the Nashville Fairgrounds.
"I believe I did. I did see her -- I believe she bought me some clothes. All kinds of stuff. That hair was terrible. I agree, But in the beginning years of TNA, we’re still in the Asylum," AJ recalled.
AJ Styles has the opportunity to win two championships in WWE in one week as he challenges Damian Priest on Monday, February 14, and then enters the Elimination Chamber for the WWE championship on Saturday, February 19 in Saudi Arabia. We will have full coverage of both events in our results section.