As you have probably seen in our EWN Newswire, AJ Styles’ current deal with TNA is coming to an end in September. TNA has yet to sign him to a deal and it seems like this could be an issue with both parties. TNA does not want to sign him for too much, but Styles may feel he is worthy of more than they are willing to give.
It is interesting that he has not signed a deal with them however. Usually Styles gets a deal done well before it is close to expiring. Everyone knows his importance to TNA, so it’s obvious that while some have had issues getting signed, AJ would not have the same trouble. However, one can never know the inner workings of how TNA runs shop.
This has led to many thinking that AJ is considering leaving TNA when his contract ends.
Styles has a family, and while he is adamant about working as a wrestler, he does not want to work so much that he does not see his loved one’s. This has to be respected. The man simply does not want to overdo himself and I cannot really be against that.
Styles is 36 years of age. He is much older than any incoming talent that would be signed by WWE. But it seems that this could be his best time to head “up north” as they say.
The reason I believe Styles would do this is actually quite interesting.
Number one, TNA is now on the road weekly for the iMPACT tapings. After the tapings, they do live events and press. Sound familiar? Due to this, TNA’s light schedule has now been increased. They once would wrestle maybe, at the most, 150 dates a year. Now, they do well over 200.
WWE’s schedule is quite similar to this. So those who thought TNA’s schedule would be lighter and thus jumped ship now are headed back to WWE or have retired altogether. Some went to TNA out of issues with WWE or were released by the company and ended up “down south” however.
So Styles may have been against going to WWE in the past due to schedule. But knowing the schedule is similar in TNA, he clearly could work a few more dates in WWE or he could make a deal with WWE that would allow him to be on the road less.
This would allow Styles to have the same time with his family that he does now. I’m sure that would be enticing for the Phenomenal one.
His name would be allowed, this is obvious. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves. Styles does not need to go to WWE. He could stay in TNA or go to ROH and make money that would take care of his family. Far less would be made of course. But he could do so. This tells me that WWE would allow AJ Styles to keep his name. TNA does not own the Styles name, so he easily could keep it and simply allow WWE the rights to use it for marketing.
Styles also has no major injuries that have brought down his production in the ring. While he obviously is nearing 40 and will sooner or later slow down and be unable to do what he used to, he still can do them now.
It’s also a guarantee that Styles would most likely be used well for some time in WWE. His popularity outside of WWE would only increase when he steps between WWE ropes. He may not be in the main event scene every week, I feel he may have a CM Punk role where he is put wherever he works best and then thrown into main events when WWE knows it will sell.
WWE knows the window is short for Styles and he would have to be used right away. There is no time to wait around and see what happens. You have to use him when you bring him in and use him a lot. I’m sure he could work out a deal to sign a big deal and work less dates. That way, his matches could stay as awesome as we have come to expect.
If Styles does leave TNA for WWE, it would be a tough decision on his end. He has been with TNA for over a decade. He has been a former World Champion and won every major title the company had. Even some that were meaningless. But the fact is that he would be a legend in TNA from the moment he leaves.
It is time to forget about TNA and trying to build it and do something for AJ Styles for once. Styles has been all about TNA from the start and has never thought of leaving. That is very noble. But when you have the power to do something for “YOU”, then you should take it. There is not a fan I can think of that has never thought of what it would be like to see AJ Styles in WWE.
Some may be completely against it while others are all for it. Regardless of your feeling, I think Styles also wonders. There has been an open interest from WWE for years now. Chances are that they would pay him well over his TNA amount to jump and offer him whatever he wanted.
Triple H has had a lot of issues when trying to bring people in and make them stars. Sin Cara did not work out and Kharma was also an issue. But if there is anyone who would be a major signing right now that could actually happen, AJ Styles would be that for Triple H.
There is a lot of thought that people have put into this over the years. And it’s not that we can say that it will happen or it won’t. This is simply due to the fact that we just don’t know.
Come the end of September, AJ Styles would be free to go. He could always sign back on with TNA. But if come January, we see someone come down the ramp on Monday night who looks an awful lot like AJ Styles, I will not be surprised.
Maybe AJ will be doing a lot of thinking, and maybe he has already made up his mind. We cannot know for sure. However, a certain philosopher once said, “Sometimes the questions are complicated, but the answers are simple”.
It could be that, while it may be a tough thought, the answer has been written on the wall all along. We will have to see come the end of September.
But what do you think? Will AJ jump ship to WWE? What matches would you want to see if he did? Let me know your thoughts on this below.
Follow me on Twitter: @JoeBurgett_WE
