Leon Slater On AJ Styles: He Came Out And Sung My Praises In The Middle Of The Ring, Which I Will Never Forget

Leon Slater speaks on sharing a moment with AJ Styles at TNA Slammiversary 2025.

Last year, AJ Styles made his first appearance in TNA in over a decade at their Slammiversary event. That night, Leon Slater picked up a victory over Moose and became the youngest TNA X-Division Champion. Styles praised Slater and called him the future of the business.

Speaking to SunSport recently, Leon Slater reflected on his moment.

“So the first major interaction I had with him was at Slammiversary where he returned to TNA. [He] came out and sung my praises in the middle of the ring, which I will never forget. That’s the moment I’ll always remember. He also pulled me aside for a chat after we came back from the ring. He spoke to me on everything, like match feedback, how to handle yourself in wrestling, how to handle yourself as a man, [to] be a family man, how to operate, and how it’s made him successful. He just gave me pure wisdom. So, getting to share that moment with him in my home at TNA was incredible. Then getting to share another moment with him in his home for the last 10 years, in WWE, and especially on the night that it was – it’s still hard for me to believe I was there.”

Elsewhere in the same interview, Leon Slater discussed becoming a wrestling fan as a child. Fans can read more about it here.