TNA Wrestling for many remains “the house that AJ Styles built”. Reigning TNA World Champion Leon Slater, however, is looking to establish himself as a new foundation.
during an interview with “The Life of Wrestling” Slater looked back his memorable match with “The Phenomenal One” at TNA’s 2025 Slammiversary event. In doing so, he also voiced his desire to become TNA’s next AJ Styles.
“When you really think about the company I work for, the company where I’m currently the world champion, has been behind this man for years. He’s the TNA guy,” Slater said of Styles. “Even to this day, he’s the TNA guy, and of course I’m trying to get ahead of him. He’s legendary and he hasn’t been at the company he built in over a decade. He could have come back out on stage and waved and said “Hi, thanks for coming to Slamversary,” but he chose to spend time with me. something like that, it’s really incredible to think about.”
During his nearly 12-year tenure with the company, Styles took TNA to new heights by helping to found the X-Division, an affiliate that focused on speed wrestling. During his in-ring interaction with Slater, Styles pointed to Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Amazing Red and Homicide as other founding members of the division. He then announced Slater, a brand new titleholder at the time, as his future.
More than a year later, Slater is now the youngest TNA World Champion ever, winning the respective title at TNA Bound For Glory with a victory over wrestling veteran Nick Nemeth.
If you use any of the quotes from this article, please give credit “The Wrestling Life” with ah/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.
