AJ Styles revealed that WWE once considered having Abyss appear in a Royal Rumble match. Styles expressed his disappointment that the appearance never materialized, wishing the Abyss character could have had a moment in WWE.
Speaking on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, Styles revealed that Abyss nearly appeared during the WWE Royal Rumble, but the plan ultimately fell through. The former WWE Champion said he regrets it because it would have given the character a proper WWE moment, but the idea was apparently rejected by someone in the company.
There was a moment in time where we thought we were going to have him in the Royal Rumble and it didn’t go through and I hate that for him. I wish it hadn’t. It would have been just like, ‘Ah, okay, stamp on Abyss, the character finally made it to the WWE.’ I would have wanted that, but it never happened. I guess somebody didn’t agree with it, who knows.
Styles considers Abyss one of the best big men he has ever wrestled, praising his ability to do it all. While the Royal Rumble appearance never happened, Abyss remains a memorable figure from TNA's early years, and Styles believes the character deserved a moment on WWE's biggest stage.
AJ Styles and Chris Park
Abyss (Chris Park) is retired from in-ring competition and has been focused on being a producer for WWE. Despite spending nearly two decades wrestling on television, Abyss never got a chance to compete in WWE in his monster persona. However, he recently did make an appearance during Styles' tribute night on Raw.
Abyss' alter ego, the mild-mannered and timid Joseph Park also made a brief on-screen appearance in 2020. He showed up alongside AJ Styles as his personal analytics expert.
The moment served as a lighthearted mini reunion from their days in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and provided some entertainment during the global pandemic, when WWE events were being held without live audiences.
