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AJ Styles Confronts New Champion In TNA Return

By Lyle Kilbane • Published Jul 21, 2025 06:30 EDT
AJ Styles

AJ Styles returned to TNA at Slammiversary as he sent a message to one of the company’s newest champions.

After stopping off in WCW during the company’s dying days and turning down a WWE developmental deal in 2002, AJ Styles headed to the independent scene, Ring of Honor, and the newly launched TNA.

While he became a regular for ROH, it was in TNA where he truly made his name. Over the next 11 years, he established himself as one of the best wrestlers in the world, becoming one of the company’s major success stories in the process.

Although he left the promotion in late 2013 after failing to agree on a new contract, he remains a legend to TNA fans.

As soon as WWE’s working relationship with TNA came into play, Styles was linked with a return to the company. That speculation recently went into overdrive when TNA boss Carlos Silva said that Slammiversary would be “Phenomenal.”

AJ Styles Gives Leon Slater His Stamp Of Approval

At Slammiversary, The Phenomenal One made his return to TNA, coming to the ring following Leon Slater winning the TNA X-Division Title against Moose. Styles came to the ring with his old TNA music and put over Slater as the youngest X-Division Champion ever.

Styles ran down the iconic names who have held that gold and said that Slater had now made history and had to start cementing his legacy. AJ Styles reacted to “one last match” chants from the crowd and said he’d talk about that another time.