Original Plans For AJ Styles’ TNA Slammiversary Appearance Revealed

Following AJ Styles’ memorable appearance at last night’s TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view, a new report has shed light on the creative process behind his return. The report reveals that the original plans for the segment were changed just hours before the show went on the air.

According to a report from Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated’s The Takedown, multiple TNA sources indicated that the former WWE Champion was originally expected to be part of a segment involving another TNA original, Frankie Kazarian. However, those plans “shifted in the hours before the event.” The report added that some sources in TNA believed WWE may have had input on the change, not wanting to promise a future TNA match for one of their main roster stars that they would not be able to deliver on.

What ultimately transpired saw Styles come to the ring after Leon Slater won the TNA X-Division Championship from Moose. Styles endorsed the new champion and put over the history of the X-Division and TNA. In the same report, TNA President Carlos Silva stated that despite creative plans changing, the original plan was “always to celebrate AJ’s X Division history.”

Styles’ special one-night return to a TNA ring comes as he is in the middle of a storyline on WWE Raw. “The Phenomenal One” is currently waiting to find out if he will challenge Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam, pending Mysterio’s medical clearance. The fact that WWE allowed one of its top stars to appear on another promotion’s pay-per-view in the middle of a major program highlights the unique nature of the current wrestling landscape.