EXCLUSIVE: TNA World Champion Trick Williams Wants To Face AJ Styles (WWE News)

Trick Williams vs. AJ Styles? "Let's book it!"

Trick Williams AJ Styles
WWE

We recently had the pleasure to grab some time with WWE star and TNA World Champion Trick Williams ahead of TNA Slammiversary this weekend, and one particular topic that came up during that chat was Trick's wish to face AJ Styles.

When discussing the TNA World Champions of yesteryear, Williams said the Phenomenal One was the TNA great he most wanted to face off with.

As Trick Willy put it:

Advertisement
"I went out there on [NXT on] Tuesday and I made a bold statement, and I meant what I said. I said that I am the greatest TrickNA, TNA Champion of all time. We were in Atlanta, I’m still in Atlanta, and the crowd chanted AJ Styles. The audacity! AJ Styles?! I thought about it, ‘Wow, wouldn’t that be amazing?’ Since the word around town is Trick Williams does not respect this title, which I am defending on two different shows, which I am increasing the viewership, which I am doing exactly what I’m supposed to do, which I’ll rightfully claim that I am the best TNA Champion of all time. If [there is] anybody who they perceive to be someone who actually does honor and respect TNA, it’s probably AJ Styles. So, why don’t we book that? I think that’s the most formidable opponent for someone like myself."

Of course, AJ Styles is TNA royalty, viewed by many as being the company's greatest ever wrestler, and somebody who is so often the first pick when fans put together their Mount Rushmore of TNA Wrestling.

Having made his in-ring debut in 1998 and briefly being a part of WCW during the company's final months, Styles would become a TNA Original - well, an NWA-TNA Original - when he joined the company in 2002, even being a part of the promotion's very first PPV back when they were running weekly PPVs in the Asylum

Advertisement

P1 would go on to spend 12 years with TNA, becoming a five-time World Champion, a six-time X Division Champion, a six-time Tag Team Champion, and a two-time Legends Champion. The point being, for so long, AJ Styles was a bona fide pillar of TNA. So, if Trick wants to position himself as the modern-day Mr. TNA, going up against AJ would certainly be one way to do that. As Williams would say later in the interview, "Let's book it" when the subject of Styles came up again.

From New York's UBS Arena, TNA Slammiversary takes place this Sunday, where the main event will see Trick Williams defend the TNA World Championship in triple-threat action against Mike Santana and Joe Hendry.

Advertisement

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit WhatCulture Wrestling.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.