10 Wrestlers That Lost Titles Due To Serious Contract Disputes

6. AJ Styles (TNA World Heavyweight Championship)

‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles helped build TNA from the ground up with thrilling performances that often earned him ‘Match of the Year’ awards from various wrestling publications. He was highly respected and known as a consummate professional behind the scenes too, but it didn’t stop TNA from trying to cut his pay by more than 60% when the company ran into more financial difficulties than usual in 2013.

It was a ludicrous drop in income for how valuable he was to TNA on the whole, not to mention he had a growing family to support at home. His contract negotiations even spilt over onto TV with a storyline revolving around Dixie Carter not seeing his true worth, even going so far as having AJ rip up a new contract on Impact.

AJ shockingly won his fifth world title for the company at Bound for Glory, with TNA hoping that would appease him. But AJ saw through it as a cheap ploy at getting him to stay. He refused to sign a new deal that would significantly cut his pay and left, with TNA stripping him of the title only 9 days after he won it.

AJ bet on himself when walking away from TNA and it paid off, with him making waves in NJPW before scoring the biggest contract of his career with WWE.