TNA star AJ Styles spoke with Mike Riker and Dave Lagreca on SiriusXM’s Busted Open to hype Sunday’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view. We posted the first batch of interview highlights here yesterday – the following are more of what AJ Styles said about:
The journey through the past year: “Well, it’s definitely been a journey. The ups and downs. The roller-coaster that has been A.J. Styles. Going from wrestling James Storm and Bobby Roode and having it all on the line and couldn’t wrestle for TNA World Heavyweight Title, it could have been James Storm or Bobby Roode or myself. Lucky me, I had the opportunity to lose that match and it really set me in a different mindset and losing to Christopher Daniels in a match that I should have never lost but when your head is all screwed up as it was, it send you to a whirlwind of “I don’t knows and I don’t know who I am” and problems occur and its reality and that’s what happens to a lot of people in life. They may lose their job, they may lose a marriage and stuff like this happens. Sometimes people forget who they are and what’s there purpose in life and that’s the same thing that happened to A.J. Styles.”
Deserving the respect: “I do and that’s what bothers me a lot, that I didn’t get that respect and when I called Dixie (Carter) out about it, she showed her true colors. She has shown who she really is. She’s a snake. She’s a money hungry person. She’s out for “what’s best for Dixie”, not for what’s best for the boys, what’s best for the company and what makes her the most money and if you don’t, well, she’s going to cut the fat.”
Being relied on: “What was bothering me was is that, you called on me every time you needed someone to take you to the next level to have that great match, you called on me. Then when it wasn’t called on me than what’s the deal. Then I realized for a second, I’m pissed off because I like being the go-to guy. I want to be that guy. Now that you are not giving me that chance, it’s pissing me off. That’s basically what I was saying. I enjoy being that go-to guy. I love being the guy that you’re going to give the ball to when it’s fourth down. I want to be that guy you give the ball to and I think a winner wants that. They want the ball in their hands when the championship is on the line or when the match is on the line but that fact that I wasn’t getting it is what really bothered me. You talk about not being in the main event, that’s exactly what I’m talking about here. I want to be the go-to guy but if you don’t give me the opportunity, how can I do that and what is stopping you and it was stuff like that, that really bothered A.J. Styles through the whole thing.”
Top priority resigning with TNA: “Here is the reality. I love TNA. I grew up there. It’s who I am. You said it before when people think of TNA, they think of A.J. Styles. I take pride in that. But something has to change and I want to be there. I don’t know any other way to say it. I love the place. I’m not saying I love what happened to it but I love that place and I want to see it grow. I know we have the talent. We have everything we need. The puzzle is not put together yet but once you get those pieces in there, you will see how it connects. Then you will be like: “Wow, we really got something” but we need someone in charge that knows what to do with it once they see what’s going together well.”
Changes if A.J. Styles was in charge: “Well, there would be some guys that we can bring in. We need to open up. The one thing that separated TNA from the beginning was the talent. The fact that they were from all over the world, from a lot of different states, having different wrestling styles. When you’re from the south, it’s a little different. When you’re from the Northeast, it’s a little different. When you’re from the West Coast, it’s a little different and that’s what was so great about TNA. We had guys from all over the nation and doing all different styles of wrestling and that’s what separated everyone else. We weren’t cookie cutters. We were all different and I think we need to bring that back. We can’t be focused on certain people. Don’t get me wrong, there is talent in the other place that can definitely come here and do well in TNA. But there are also talents in the independent circuit that deserve a chance too. I’m not saying they need to come here for a terrible contract to whatever it is. Give them a credible contract and come in here and show these people what they’ve been doing on the independents and doing well. We got to open up that door for younger talent to come in here because I was one of the first guys here and I’m getting older.”
