AJ Styles doesn’t believe his retirement tour will include one last match in TNA Wrestling.
Styles, currently one-half of the WWE World Tag Team Champions alongside Dragon Lee, has been vocal about how he wants to have one last match inside a TNA ring someday, returning to a promotion which played a significant part in his career.
Back in July, when he made a special appearance at TNA’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, Styles noted in backstage comments that he hoped “there’s something special as far as a match goes” with the company.
However, in a recent interview, Styles has made it clear that he believes a one-off return to TNA might be a pipedream.
“I was hoping that this would happen, but then I realized it probably never could, as far as WWE letting me do that,” Styles told No-Contest Wrestling when asked about a potential TNA match. “And I’ll tell you why: It’s because as soon as I open those gates for the main roster talent, now everybody’s gonna want to do it. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, if I’m being honest. I would like to, don’t get me wrong, what a moment it was when I was able to go back [at Slammiversary]. But I just don’t see that match, I don’t see a match happening as of now.”
Styles continued:
“It’s NXT that’s got the partnership, not the main roster talent. Listen, I wish I could do it. I think I should be the only guy to do it, but that’s being very selfish. We’ll see what happens in the future. I don’t know necessarily, but we’ll find out together.”
Styles certainly isn’t the only one who wants the TNA match. The promotion’s current world champion, Mike Santana, has said in numerous interviews that facing Styles is the final “dream match” he has yet to accomplish.
Time is running out for 48-year-old Styles to get a match in TNA. He confirmed last month that he plans to retire next year, ending an in-ring career which lasted longer than a quarter-century.
