Source: TNAinsider.com & Matty P Radio Happy Hour
On TNA parting ways with Styles after all of his contributions:
Well i don't know what to tell you, I'd like to tell you that I'm the highest paid wrestler there but I'm not. I don't know exactly what's going on. All i know is that I need to figure out what my next move is. If it's to stay with TNA then that's a good thing to some and maybe a bad thing to others.
The main thing i have to do is take care of my family. It's not about the legacy I'm going to have to leave, you know it's not about that for me. At the end of the day this is a job, I love doing what i do but my main obligation is to my god and my family.
Whether WWE has contacted him:
not really. you just hear rumors with them and like. I'm still in negotiations with TNA.
On WWE not signing Styles while he is still TNA World Champion on taped television sets still waiting to air:
it's bizarre. i don't know what they are thinking. i know they put more money into their developmental. it makes perfectly great sense. I don't know what they are looking for. I don't know what TNA is looking for. I don't know what Japan is looking for. All i can say is that I can still get it done in the ring. It is what it is.
On turning down a WWE developmental contract:
I was married. My wife was still in high-school and we were going to start our lives together. I'm the sole provider. I didn't feel it was right to leave my wife, move to Cincinnati and force my wife to move back in with her parents just so that i can pursue a developmental deal.
That's not how i was brought up. I have to take care of them. I wasn't going to leave her in Georgia just to move to Cincinnati. It wasn't about money, I'm not too good to take 500 dollars a week or whatever they were giving out at the time. I'm not too proud to take a position like that. It's just not me.
If he thinks TNA put the belt on him in order to give him an incentive to re-sign with the company:
I have no clue. It is a possibility. I don't know. I wouldn't have tried to do that but that's a question for them. They kind of put the ball in my court and i wondered, Why would they do that?
On what TNA needs to do in order to compete with the WWE:
Well i can tell you something they did. We had a six sided ring back then. That was different. We had a certain ruggedness. We had guys coming in from the independent scene that were already entertaining fans. They did well and we brought them in to TV. I think they also have to rely more on the guys that are there.
On Hulk Hogan setting TNA backwards
Well, you have to think back. Everything that Hogan touched back then turned to gold. The thing is, more people watched the first show. We had a great number for that first show and then that was it. Then i heard he was in control and then quickly wasn't any more.
On Rob Van Dam:
This isn't a knock on Rob but when he first came in, I was TNA champ and then I wasn't. Two guys who had not been in the company, not homegrown talent came in and beat me and and another guy. That's not how it should be.
AJ also talks tons more about TNA, Unbreakable 2005, Low-Ki, Samoa Joe, Aces & Eights and tons more.
On TNA parting ways with Styles after all of his contributions:
Well i don't know what to tell you, I'd like to tell you that I'm the highest paid wrestler there but I'm not. I don't know exactly what's going on. All i know is that I need to figure out what my next move is. If it's to stay with TNA then that's a good thing to some and maybe a bad thing to others.
The main thing i have to do is take care of my family. It's not about the legacy I'm going to have to leave, you know it's not about that for me. At the end of the day this is a job, I love doing what i do but my main obligation is to my god and my family.
Whether WWE has contacted him:
not really. you just hear rumors with them and like. I'm still in negotiations with TNA.
On WWE not signing Styles while he is still TNA World Champion on taped television sets still waiting to air:
it's bizarre. i don't know what they are thinking. i know they put more money into their developmental. it makes perfectly great sense. I don't know what they are looking for. I don't know what TNA is looking for. I don't know what Japan is looking for. All i can say is that I can still get it done in the ring. It is what it is.
On turning down a WWE developmental contract:
I was married. My wife was still in high-school and we were going to start our lives together. I'm the sole provider. I didn't feel it was right to leave my wife, move to Cincinnati and force my wife to move back in with her parents just so that i can pursue a developmental deal.
That's not how i was brought up. I have to take care of them. I wasn't going to leave her in Georgia just to move to Cincinnati. It wasn't about money, I'm not too good to take 500 dollars a week or whatever they were giving out at the time. I'm not too proud to take a position like that. It's just not me.
If he thinks TNA put the belt on him in order to give him an incentive to re-sign with the company:
I have no clue. It is a possibility. I don't know. I wouldn't have tried to do that but that's a question for them. They kind of put the ball in my court and i wondered, Why would they do that?
On what TNA needs to do in order to compete with the WWE:
Well i can tell you something they did. We had a six sided ring back then. That was different. We had a certain ruggedness. We had guys coming in from the independent scene that were already entertaining fans. They did well and we brought them in to TV. I think they also have to rely more on the guys that are there.
On Hulk Hogan setting TNA backwards
Well, you have to think back. Everything that Hogan touched back then turned to gold. The thing is, more people watched the first show. We had a great number for that first show and then that was it. Then i heard he was in control and then quickly wasn't any more.
On Rob Van Dam:
This isn't a knock on Rob but when he first came in, I was TNA champ and then I wasn't. Two guys who had not been in the company, not homegrown talent came in and beat me and and another guy. That's not how it should be.
AJ also talks tons more about TNA, Unbreakable 2005, Low-Ki, Samoa Joe, Aces & Eights and tons more.
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