WWE Influenced Last-Minute Change to AJ Styles’ TNA Slammiversary Segment – AJ Styles’ return to TNA at the Slammiversary pay-per-view was a major headline, but it turns out the segment fans saw was not the original plan. According to Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated, multiple sources within TNA revealed that Styles was initially scheduled to share a segment with longtime rival and TNA original Frankie Kazarian.
That plan was reportedly scrapped just hours before the event went live. While no official reason was given, TNA insiders speculated that WWE may have played a role in altering the creative direction. The belief is that WWE didn’t want to tease a potential Styles vs. Kazarian match that would never materialize, especially given Styles’ active involvement on RAW.
TNA President Carlos Silva acknowledged to Sports Illustrated that the creative plans “went through a few changes,” but emphasized that the core idea was always to honor Styles’ legacy with the X-Division. Ultimately, the segment was reshaped to showcase that legacy, as Styles appeared to endorse Leon Slater after his win over Moose for the TNA X-Division Championship.
The appearance marked Styles’ first in a TNA ring in over a decade and was one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend. While it was brief and without any physicality, the endorsement of Slater served to symbolically pass the torch from one era of X-Division excellence to the next.
Styles is currently involved in a storyline on WWE RAW and is set to face Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam. His TNA cameo was a one-off appearance and not indicative of any ongoing relationship between WWE and TNA, though it did highlight the increased flexibility in WWE’s approach to outside promotions.
WWE Influenced Last-Minute Change to AJ Styles’ TNA Slammiversary Segment
