The Matt Harris Show on 93.3 The Planet FM
Special Guest: AJ Styles
July 13, 2002


MATT: He's the current NWA-TNA X-Title Champ and one half of the NWA
Tag Team Champions, AJ Styles, how are you doing man?

AJ: I'm doing wonderful Matt.

MATT: So you're on vacation now, probably a much needed one,
everywhere I look, every big show, AJ Styles is there. What do you
think is the major appeal that everyone is looking to sign AJ
Styles?

AJ: You know what, I really don't know. Because there are so many
great wrestlers out there, including myself. It almost seems like
it's the same guys over and over. With these pay per views and stuff
like that, Christopher Daniels, Low Ki, American Dragon, I know he
hasn't been on TNA but he's awesome. And Tony Mamluke, it's always
the same guys so, I really can't say much for myself, other than I'm
the most blessed guy and luckiest guy in this business because I'm
able to be where I am.

MATT: And speaking of all those you named, Vince Russo who just
signed on with NWA-TNA said one of the major reasons he left WWE for
TNA was because of the X title matches he'd seen on previous TNA pay
per views. It's totally set a new standard in wrestling as a whole,
everyone has always loved the high flying, dangerous Cruiserweight
matches and popped for them, but WWE and WCW, when they were still
around, didn't really appreciate what they had and used it as the
first match, kind of like a side show act. TNA has really brought
the style to the forefront and put it higher in the card, even main
event.

AJ: Well, I mean it's weird. You take a couple Indy guys who have
been on the scene for a while, that want the respect from the crowd,
and you take and put them in front of a hungry crowd now you've
really got something. Because not only do they have mats on the
outside of the ring, which makes it even more crazy, they've got
protection, because on the Indy scene there is none. And most of us
are from the Indy scene. NWA-TNA is truly what it says Total NonStop
Action. And that's what we wanna give them. If the fans want
something, I know this is stepping on the line about realness,
sometimes you can't tell me our stuff is not real.

MATT: I know, don't tell me the Styles Clash doesn't hurt, or some
of Low Ki's stiff kicks to the face aren't pretty painful.

AJ: Exactly, I mean, the realism is, it's Japanese. If you get right
down to it, if you've watched any Japanese stuff on tape, that's
mostly what it comes down to. And another things these guys are
bringing in TNA, especially in the X-Division, are these crazy
finishers. Everywhere you look people are going what the heck was
that! That's what I think is making people watch. Because they dont
know what's coming next.

MATT: Very true, so let's jump back a bit and talk about your
training, I know you started out with MCW which later turned into
NWA Wildside, right?.

AJ: Right, I got trained down there, Rick Micheals showed me alot of
stuff. He helped me out as much as he could. I also learned alot
from a place called Good 'Ole Days in Atlanta. There is was able to
wrestle on Friday nights and then at Wildside on Saturday nights.
Scottie Wrenn and J.C. Dazz (Former NWA Georgia Team Champs-The
Boogaloo Crew), were responsible for giving me my very first match.
It's all about experience. You learn by getting in there and getting
involved. Wrestling is like life, you learn by getting in there and
getting involved. You know, some guys may say they've been wrestling
for 12 years, but they were only wrestling one show a month. When I
was able to get in there twice a week at least and wrestle. And then
train 2 days a week too.

MATT: I know several Indy "legends" like that. Who would you say,
back when you were just a fan watching on TV, was your biggest
wrestling influence.

AJ: Gosh, I wish I could say there was just one guy. But, of course
everyone looks up to Chris Benoit, everything he does is so intense.
I like Lance Storm alot, his athletic ability is amazing to me. So,
I guess combine both of those guys and they really inspired me as to
who I am in the ring as far as style goes.

MATT: Well, ya know alot of people said, including myself that a
dream match on the Indy circuit would be you versus Low Ki, you
being primarily working down South and he up North. Now we've seen
that in TNA. And you mentioned Benoit, of course he's in WWE, mind
discussing why you turned down the contract WWE offered you and is
there a chance we'll ever see AJ Styles there to possibly work
Benoit?

AJ: Well, the reason being is pretty simple. It had nothing with me
thinking I was better than what they had to offer or anything, it
came down to financial security. They weren't offering me enough
money to move up to Cincinatti full time, and take care of my family
at the same time. Plus my wife was in college down here in Georgia.
And I couldn't see being away from her for that long of time. It'd
just be rough on our marriage and that's more important to me than
my job. So that's pretty much the only reason I turned it down.

MATT: That's a very respectable answer. If you have seen any WWE TV
lately, they're promoing bringing in Rey Mysterio, Jr. , so possibly
they're gonna start focusing more on the high flyers and
Cruiserweights. If WWE were to come back to you now with a better
offer, is WWE something you'd consider?

AJ: You know what, Jerry Jarrett has stuck his neck out for me. So
I'm with him until the end. So thats pretty much how it's gonna go.
If you give me the opportunity, I'm gonna be with you, I'm gonna
help you out the best I can. That's why I still wrestle at Wildside
because they gave me the opportunity, to form my character, to do
the things I need to do to bring AJ Styles up on a higher level. I
feel like I owe Wildside something. And with The Jarretts, I feel
like I owe them too.

MATT: That's something you rarely see anymore in the wrestling
business, loyalty.....

AJ: Well, like I said they're sticking their necks out for you, do
it for them. Wrestling has not been as good, as wrestling can be.
Especially in the United States, but it's not going away. Wrestling
has been around way too long, to just vanish into thin air. So, it's
nothing I'm worried about.

MATT: I agree with you there.

AJ: You know Matt, if they wanted me a few months ago, they'll want
me when I'm ten times better in maybe a year or two.

MATT: Well obviously you have alot of respect for the Japanese
wrestling style, if say New Japan came along with a good offer, is
that something you'd be interested in?

AJ: Absolutely. Like I said, right now I'm with TNA, but that's
actually one of my future goals to go to Japan.

MATT: Well here lately, especially this past week on TNA, it looks
as though they're attempting at fueding you and Jerry Lynn. Is that
a fued that's gonna start or are they just adding tension to their
tag champs?

AJ: You know, I wanna say they want us to go into a fued together,
but I don't know for sure. I just know when I get there they tell me
what to do, we do it, and we go from there.

MATT: Ok gotta ask you about this, back when you were in WCW toward
the end of it's existence, there were rumors that, when you did your
Shooting Styles Press on Nitro, you and Billy Kidman had some heat
backstage. Any truth to that rumor?

AJ: Absolutely there was. He told me he'd done it before, I had
never seen him do it myself, but he said he'd done it, so I said
screw it, I'll do something else that he can't do. And who knows,
you may see it on TNA anyway.

MATT: Speaking of fueds, who, in either the Indys or in WWE, what
would be the fantasy match for AJ Stuyles?

AJ: Well, I definitely like to work, here in NWA-TNA, in the future,
I'd like to work Ken Shamrock. He'd be really cool to work. Benoit,
I mean that would be a dream match for me. Then again, I'm wrestling
Low Ki again Wednesday night for the X-Title, because he's the
Number 1 Contender, so as far as I know we're wrestling Wednesday.
The first time I wrestled him it was phenomenal. So, I'm expecting
and I hope the people are expecting a dream match.

MATT: The high flying, the risk taking you're doing, do you have it
in the back of your head that maybe you're shaving a few years off
your wrestling career, maybe even your life?

AJ: Absolutely. I mean, look at Jushin Liger in Japan. His finisher
is now the palm thrust, when it used to be the Shooting Star Press.
The thing is, I'm not the biggest guy out there so I have to do that
stuff to show these people that I can wrestle. Or at least do some
high flying stuff to keep their attention. So unfortunately, yeah
I'm shaving years off my career and even possibly my life, but I
love what I do. So I'll do it, as long as the crowd and the poeple I
work for return the favor.

MATT: AJ, I appreciate you coming on with us, much continued success
and wish you the best of luck.

AJ: Not a problem, we'll see you Wednesday night!