Impact Wrestling mainstay AJ Styles was recently interviewed and spoke on a number subjects. Below are some highlights:
On the Sting/Roode PPV finish and storylines in wrestling:
You have to admire how it was done. It was pretty unique and I haven’t seen anything like that before. Storylines need to continue you know. Bobby Roode is one of the best champions in a long time. He has it all.
On being held down:
I think if you ever give me the ball, I’ll score. But you have to give it to me. I have to play my part as well, I am a company guy. We all wrestle together, we entertain together and we all make money together.
On TNA’s Twitter push:
I like to get on there and associate and connect with my fans. See what they want. If they don’t like the fact that I wore gloves on the PPV then let me know. I’m trying something new. I see nothing wrong with that, I think it’s something new.
His Opinion On The Internet Wrestling Community:
I was one of those guys that used to have the Torch or whatever as an app on my iPhone but it’s just so negative and so biased. I just stopped reading it because no matter what we do, it’s never going to be good enough for biased writers. It is what it is man. We aren’t going to have all the money that the other company has but I can tell you, we have better wrestling than they do.
I’m done listening to the fact that you think you are a genius because you write about a show at your desk and say you can write a show better than our writers can. Yet, you sit at your desk and write about a show that happened. There are so many critics that say so many things and don’t get me wrong, some things I agree on but a lot of it I can’t. They aren’t there, they have no idea. It’s like someone who writes for US magazine about a celebrity that’s totally not true but they got it from a source who got it from a third hand. It’s just ridiculous.
On his promo to Jeff Hardy following Jeff’s return from the Victory Road 2011 debacle:
You know I spoke to Jeff about that. To be honest, I was pretty upset over that. I take a lot of pride in this company. I’ve put my body, my life, my livelihood for this company. But that has been totally squashed and he is kicking major butt right now. He is in great shape and he is in mentally great shape.
On the creative changes, who was his favorite and who was his least favorite:
I can tell you it was Dusty Rhodes who put me and Daniels in the first 30 minute Iron Man match in TNA. I think it was Jeff Jarrett that put me, Daniels and Samoa Joe in the main event for the X-Division title. Vince Russo also put us in great storylines, like with Christian, Tomko and the like.
I can tell you this. I’ve seen a lot of things like ‘Fire Vince Russo’. Russo didn’t come up with all of these ideas. Sure he came up with a few things that weren’t that good and weren’t pleasing to the ears or to the eyes but no one does. Vince wasn’t all that people thought he was as far as this ‘terrible writer’. Vince was a great friend of mine and I’m going to miss him not being here. But for people to say all these terrible things about him and it’s just not all true.
They have no idea, even I have no idea of all the things that went on backstage when they are writing the show. You have to think, I don’t know how many writers the other company has, I’m sure it’s a butt load of them. We have 2 or 3 writers, that’s it. Even if he did, you have to give him credit for putting in so much. Honestly, I hope Vince is enjoying the time off and not have to focus on wrestling. If I had to go through that much in my time in wrestling, I know I would have gone crazy. I just hope he is enjoying himself and his time in Colorado.
On the new creative team of Bruce Prichard, Dave Lagana and Matt Conway:
Well, Matt Conway, I’ve been working with him. Lagana, I’ve actually got to communicate with him a lot and Bruce as well. I think the fact that we have been able to communicate is a plus. The lack of communication is what screws things up. Without that you can’t see their vision for what they want. You end up with two different pictures for the same thing.
On being offered a WWE developmental contract for $500 a week and turning it down:
I could tell you what would have happened. Literally 3 months later, WWE pulled their developmental. I’m sure they would have just dumped my contract.
