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Somebody posted a rundown of a interview AJ did with Meltzer&Alvarez a few days back.
On being pushed while being on the way out:
Yeah, I was shocked. I remember telling friends of mine that it didn't make sense unless they were planning on keeping me around. If you're going to go out, you better go out the way I did.
On wrestling outside of TNA:
I'd like to go back over to Japan. I always have a good time when I'm over there, so there's hope there. And the independent bookings that I'm going on, plus ROH, I kind of enjoy wrestling different people.
Favorite period during his time TNA:
Probably, and in others people's eyes it was the worst time for me, was with Christian and Tomko. I was having so much fun acting like a complete idiot. For me, it was just showing another character. I thought it was hilarious, and when you're making yourself laugh, I seem to think I'm making other people laugh. I could be wrong. That was one of the best times with Christian and Tomko, and all the crazy ideas we would think to do.
Also, the Fourtune thing we did briefly, I thought was great. We had so many ideas on how far we could take this, and right when I feel we were getting really hot they broke us up.
When Joe got in the mix with Chris and I, those were just amazing times and matches.
On the Flair Gimmick:
Well, at first it was a little frustrating because they wanted me to dye my hair blonde and be Ric Flair. And I didn't see it that way. I was more than willing to--I wanted to work with Ric, but to be Ric Flair, it can't be done. It's been tried. So I definitely didn't want to be Ric Flair, I wanted to be AJ Styles but in a different way. If they wanted me to be similar to Ric Flair, then that would be cool, but it was very awkward at that time because they wanted me to be exactly like him and I just couldn't see it that way.
On being a Highflyer:
I think when it comes to flips and crazy stuff like that, it's just never hesitating. It's going through it. No Fear. What ever happens, happens. That's still how I go about it today. I'm scared when I get on that top rope, no doubt about it, but once I get there the fear is gone, I'm giving it all or nothing. There have been times I've freaked myself out, but I think most of the time when anybody gets injured it's because they hesitated.
...I think you got to trust the people that are hopefully going to catch you. I think that's the biggest thing. Chris did, I don't remember what BFG it was, but he as Suicide where I had thought he broke his neck. It scared me to death to the point where I almost ran to the ring. There was a time where Chris Sabin, he and I--and Petey were having an Ultimate X match and he (Sabin) did a springboard dropkick and knocked me inside out--which was the plan, but as I'm falling, I didn't think I was going to make it. I literally though I was going to land on the back of my neck and on my shoulders, and so I'm freaking out in mid-air. It was only one or two seconds, but I am freaking out. I tucked my head in so hard, it scared me to death. Luckily I landed perfect, but that was one of those scary moments where it was like 'I'll never do that again'.
On why he stopped taking crazy bumps:
I think it's psychology. You take a power bomb onto a guard rail, you're out. You should be done with the match. I think that's the biggest thing is that I really started to understand psychology and how it's important in a match. Some of these elder guys were having these unbelievable matched but neither one of them were getting power bombed into a guard rail. So, maybe we don't need all that stuff. Maybe it's just overkill, and a lot of times it was just that. Until maybe a match needs that, there's no reason to do all that stuff if it's not going to make sense. Truth be known, if I watch a lot of my matches from a decade ago I'll be disgusted with the psychology. I think that's why also the psychology in the three way match Joe, Chris and I had is that we sold everything and that's what made that three way different for the X Division title back then. Everything has to do with selling, how long you sell, and how you react. Once you get the crowd involved, psychology is what gets you there.
On feeling like a Veteran/younger wrestlers not understanding his advice:
It's probably the same way I looked at the guy who told me to slow down when I was coming up. 'Slow down? I was only half speeding it'. I got to tell you, I had a match in the WWE years ago and after, HHH goes up to me and says, "Just a word of advice, you guys should probably slow down". And I never forgot that.
I was at Wildside Anarchy this weekend, and I was telling them to slow down. Instead of punching a guy four time, how about you punch him hard one time. That grizzled vet, a lot of times I think about Jerry Lynn, how great I thought he was and how much I learned from him, and I think, "Am I Jerry Lynn to these guys? Am I able to convince them that what I know is good stuff that they can learn from?" So I think about Jerry Lynn a lot these days.
On his goals:
I think I set goals that are attainable. I wanted to have an action figure, I wanted to be in a video game, I want to pay off my house. Those are the things that are realistic that are big deals to me. This isn't about the legacy of AJ Styles. And you may take it the wrong way and people may say it the wrong way, but this is about making money and taking care of my family. Now, when I get to the ring, I'll give you everything I got, but I got to make decisions for me right now that's not based on helping someone out or being in front of thousands of people. I would love to wrestle in front of thousands of people, I would love it, but my goal is to retire with my own knees and shoulders intact and be able to spend time with my family after all the time and years I've been on the road. That's my main goal, to be a good husband and a good father.
On MMA/Jujitsu training:
I've done some Jujitsu training a while back, but once TNA got so busy, there wasn't time for practice. That's where the calf killer came from. It's called the calf slicer--and I may have to call it that soon. There was a point where I was trying to add a submission to my arsenal, and the armbar they [TNA] didn't seem to like it, but the calf killer was so different that it worked.
On Vince Russo:
I enjoyed working with him. There were some times where we had some rough times, too. Vince was under a lot of stress when he was writing and being the only writer--I get it. It was hard. I would come to him because I didn't like what he was doing and he got pissed off at me, and I guess I can't say I blame him, but it wasn't because I thought he was stupid, it was that I wanted him to see it from my perspective. But I enjoyed working with Vince because he actually listened to me. And still to this day he and I are great friends and I miss him.
On the Six-sided ring and Eric Bischoff:
When Eric Bischoff first came to TNA, I didn't like him. When they changed the ring, it really pissed me off because I thought that was what really made us different. When you are clicking channels, and you saw this ring you stop. I couldn't believe we were going in this direction. I did an interview after the Flair gimmick telling the story and Eric Bischoff came to me and was pissed off. He didn't appreciate me saying what I said because basically I said I didn't need to ride Ric Flair's coat tails, I'm AJ Styles. They [Bischoff and Hogan] may not know me, but the TNA fans know me. He got really angry at me and we had a couple words, nothing where it nearly came to fisticuffs. And so there was a point where I couldn't really stand the guy. But as we started talking more and more, he started listening to me--and as I said before, every wrestler thinks he has great ideas, and sometimes they do. If Eric didn't like it, he would tell you, and that's the great thing about him. There were other times where he said and he walked off, but then he would come back later and told me the reason why. That I was more important than for me just to tell you no. And I understood and thought it was really classy for him to come back and tell me why things needed to be the way they are.
On his TNA contract falling through:
Nothing's over until it's over. I left the door open and they left the door open. I never want to burn a bridge with anybody. I think I'm a nice guy and I want to treat others with respects. We just couldn't come to an agreement.
On WWE not signing him:
I'm not in talks with them. I don't know if they want me there. I know they have a lot of money invested in their developmental. I can understand them saying 'we have all this money here, why would we spend it on this guy?'. So, I get it, and I down with that. I understand. But I do think I'm ready, willing, and able to have some of the best matches there or anywhere else. But again, I have to have an opportunity, and that's all I need.
On being pushed while being on the way out:
Yeah, I was shocked. I remember telling friends of mine that it didn't make sense unless they were planning on keeping me around. If you're going to go out, you better go out the way I did.
On wrestling outside of TNA:
I'd like to go back over to Japan. I always have a good time when I'm over there, so there's hope there. And the independent bookings that I'm going on, plus ROH, I kind of enjoy wrestling different people.
Favorite period during his time TNA:
Probably, and in others people's eyes it was the worst time for me, was with Christian and Tomko. I was having so much fun acting like a complete idiot. For me, it was just showing another character. I thought it was hilarious, and when you're making yourself laugh, I seem to think I'm making other people laugh. I could be wrong. That was one of the best times with Christian and Tomko, and all the crazy ideas we would think to do.
Also, the Fourtune thing we did briefly, I thought was great. We had so many ideas on how far we could take this, and right when I feel we were getting really hot they broke us up.
When Joe got in the mix with Chris and I, those were just amazing times and matches.
On the Flair Gimmick:
Well, at first it was a little frustrating because they wanted me to dye my hair blonde and be Ric Flair. And I didn't see it that way. I was more than willing to--I wanted to work with Ric, but to be Ric Flair, it can't be done. It's been tried. So I definitely didn't want to be Ric Flair, I wanted to be AJ Styles but in a different way. If they wanted me to be similar to Ric Flair, then that would be cool, but it was very awkward at that time because they wanted me to be exactly like him and I just couldn't see it that way.
On being a Highflyer:
I think when it comes to flips and crazy stuff like that, it's just never hesitating. It's going through it. No Fear. What ever happens, happens. That's still how I go about it today. I'm scared when I get on that top rope, no doubt about it, but once I get there the fear is gone, I'm giving it all or nothing. There have been times I've freaked myself out, but I think most of the time when anybody gets injured it's because they hesitated.
...I think you got to trust the people that are hopefully going to catch you. I think that's the biggest thing. Chris did, I don't remember what BFG it was, but he as Suicide where I had thought he broke his neck. It scared me to death to the point where I almost ran to the ring. There was a time where Chris Sabin, he and I--and Petey were having an Ultimate X match and he (Sabin) did a springboard dropkick and knocked me inside out--which was the plan, but as I'm falling, I didn't think I was going to make it. I literally though I was going to land on the back of my neck and on my shoulders, and so I'm freaking out in mid-air. It was only one or two seconds, but I am freaking out. I tucked my head in so hard, it scared me to death. Luckily I landed perfect, but that was one of those scary moments where it was like 'I'll never do that again'.
On why he stopped taking crazy bumps:
I think it's psychology. You take a power bomb onto a guard rail, you're out. You should be done with the match. I think that's the biggest thing is that I really started to understand psychology and how it's important in a match. Some of these elder guys were having these unbelievable matched but neither one of them were getting power bombed into a guard rail. So, maybe we don't need all that stuff. Maybe it's just overkill, and a lot of times it was just that. Until maybe a match needs that, there's no reason to do all that stuff if it's not going to make sense. Truth be known, if I watch a lot of my matches from a decade ago I'll be disgusted with the psychology. I think that's why also the psychology in the three way match Joe, Chris and I had is that we sold everything and that's what made that three way different for the X Division title back then. Everything has to do with selling, how long you sell, and how you react. Once you get the crowd involved, psychology is what gets you there.
On feeling like a Veteran/younger wrestlers not understanding his advice:
It's probably the same way I looked at the guy who told me to slow down when I was coming up. 'Slow down? I was only half speeding it'. I got to tell you, I had a match in the WWE years ago and after, HHH goes up to me and says, "Just a word of advice, you guys should probably slow down". And I never forgot that.
I was at Wildside Anarchy this weekend, and I was telling them to slow down. Instead of punching a guy four time, how about you punch him hard one time. That grizzled vet, a lot of times I think about Jerry Lynn, how great I thought he was and how much I learned from him, and I think, "Am I Jerry Lynn to these guys? Am I able to convince them that what I know is good stuff that they can learn from?" So I think about Jerry Lynn a lot these days.
On his goals:
I think I set goals that are attainable. I wanted to have an action figure, I wanted to be in a video game, I want to pay off my house. Those are the things that are realistic that are big deals to me. This isn't about the legacy of AJ Styles. And you may take it the wrong way and people may say it the wrong way, but this is about making money and taking care of my family. Now, when I get to the ring, I'll give you everything I got, but I got to make decisions for me right now that's not based on helping someone out or being in front of thousands of people. I would love to wrestle in front of thousands of people, I would love it, but my goal is to retire with my own knees and shoulders intact and be able to spend time with my family after all the time and years I've been on the road. That's my main goal, to be a good husband and a good father.
On MMA/Jujitsu training:
I've done some Jujitsu training a while back, but once TNA got so busy, there wasn't time for practice. That's where the calf killer came from. It's called the calf slicer--and I may have to call it that soon. There was a point where I was trying to add a submission to my arsenal, and the armbar they [TNA] didn't seem to like it, but the calf killer was so different that it worked.
On Vince Russo:
I enjoyed working with him. There were some times where we had some rough times, too. Vince was under a lot of stress when he was writing and being the only writer--I get it. It was hard. I would come to him because I didn't like what he was doing and he got pissed off at me, and I guess I can't say I blame him, but it wasn't because I thought he was stupid, it was that I wanted him to see it from my perspective. But I enjoyed working with Vince because he actually listened to me. And still to this day he and I are great friends and I miss him.
On the Six-sided ring and Eric Bischoff:
When Eric Bischoff first came to TNA, I didn't like him. When they changed the ring, it really pissed me off because I thought that was what really made us different. When you are clicking channels, and you saw this ring you stop. I couldn't believe we were going in this direction. I did an interview after the Flair gimmick telling the story and Eric Bischoff came to me and was pissed off. He didn't appreciate me saying what I said because basically I said I didn't need to ride Ric Flair's coat tails, I'm AJ Styles. They [Bischoff and Hogan] may not know me, but the TNA fans know me. He got really angry at me and we had a couple words, nothing where it nearly came to fisticuffs. And so there was a point where I couldn't really stand the guy. But as we started talking more and more, he started listening to me--and as I said before, every wrestler thinks he has great ideas, and sometimes they do. If Eric didn't like it, he would tell you, and that's the great thing about him. There were other times where he said and he walked off, but then he would come back later and told me the reason why. That I was more important than for me just to tell you no. And I understood and thought it was really classy for him to come back and tell me why things needed to be the way they are.
On his TNA contract falling through:
Nothing's over until it's over. I left the door open and they left the door open. I never want to burn a bridge with anybody. I think I'm a nice guy and I want to treat others with respects. We just couldn't come to an agreement.
On WWE not signing him:
I'm not in talks with them. I don't know if they want me there. I know they have a lot of money invested in their developmental. I can understand them saying 'we have all this money here, why would we spend it on this guy?'. So, I get it, and I down with that. I understand. But I do think I'm ready, willing, and able to have some of the best matches there or anywhere else. But again, I have to have an opportunity, and that's all I need.
