If any one wrestler has become synonymous with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, it’s “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles. He’s held every men’s title in the company, defeated almost everyone on the roster and been there since TNA’s first event. Though Styles has had many rivalries over the years, his perfect foil within and outside of TNA has been “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels. These two have waged more high-flying battles in 2012 than perhaps ever before and it call comes to a head this Sunday at Final Resolution in what is being billed as a “one last time” match. But before that one-on-one encounter, Styles and Daniels will be on opposite sides of the ring tonight on Impact Wrestling as Styles teams up with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy and “The Cowboy” James Storm to take on Daniels, Kazarian and Bobby Roode. Wrestling with Pop Culture recently got to talk to Styles yet again about his rivalry with Daniels, other potential rivalries and what his plans are for the new year.
This Sunday’s match is billed as the final battle between you and Daniels. What are your memories of the first time you and Daniels faced each other and how do think you’ve both changed as competitors over the years?
The first time he and I ever got into the ring together was the 53rd Anniversary of the NWA; it was the first time I had ever met Christopher Daniels. What a match it was – two guys who knew nothing about each other going in there and having an unbelievable match. I think it’s what helped take my career get to the next level. When you have matches like that with Christopher Daniels you get noticed. My popularity has grown every since I wrestled Christopher Daniels. As far as changing over the years, I can’t tell you that there’s been that much change as far as the wrestling goes. [But] we’ve been the closest friends and bitter enemies.
The two of you have met so many times, and the bar is raised each time you get into the ring together. Fans always expect the two of you to put on a tremendous match, so is there any pressure going into this Sunday knowing it’s being billed as the final match between you two?
The thing about me and Chris is we’ve had so many matches and they’ve all been pretty good, so the bar has been raised every time. The last time we met was a last man standing match and we literally about killed each other. It was such a brutal match from both of us that ended with me putting him through a table off the ramp with a Styles Clash. It’s so hard to top something like that because we literally left everything we had in the ring and outside the ring. There was nothing left of either one of us after that match, so to have one final match is a lot of pressure because we’ve got to make it something that people will never forget. We want to put on a classic. It is hard, but I think we’ll be able to do it.
You recently lost another match with a stipulation that you won’t get another title shot until next year. How does that change your outlook on your goals and what you want to accomplish in the next year?
I don’t know. The year’s not over and who knows what my mindset will be at the end of this year? I’m not sure where this will lead me and where I will take it. Hopefully there will be loopholes, there will be some way for me to get that world title before Bound for Glory. Who’s to say that I’ll even make in the tournament? I have yet to do that, so even though I may have a shot at Bound for Glory doesn’t mean I’ll get it.
Since Sunday’s match is being billed as the last meeting between you and Daniels, what do you plan on doing to try and make it stand out amongst the many matches the two of you have had against one another?
The thing I’m going to try to accomplish in this match is make sure it’s different from everybody else’s on the card and do something people haven’t seen, or maybe they’ve forgotten about like classic wrestling, classic storytelling and everything that goes along with what professional wrestling has been and what it will be. I think the thing is to try to make it different from what we’ve done and what everybody else is doing.
Is there anyone else on the TNA roster you’d like to develop a friendship or rivalry with that might compare to the ones you’ve had with Christopher Daniels?
Rivalries? Who knows who the next guy is? I can tell you that as far as friendships, I think I’ve done enough of those little friendships and factions and stuff like that. I think it’s about time that AJ Styles do his own thing and stop worrying about everybody else and stop being the janitor of TNA and cleaning up messes and go out there and do my own thing.
Probably the one solid rule in professional wrestling is to never say “never.” Do you really believe this is the last time you two guys will meet?
You know, I’ve thought about that myself. What if he’s in the Bound for Glory Series and what if I’m in the Bound for Glory Series? How can we not wrestle each other? Just little things like that. How can we stay apart? Is there going to be some rule? Or maybe there will be one final time where I ask him to wrestle me and he accepts or something like that. That’s going to be a hard one to get around, so we’ll see.