AJ Styles wishes Abyss got to compete in WWE Royal Rumble
AJ Styles wishes a fellow TNA legend got the chance to compete for WWE at least one time.
While speaking on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, the now-retired Styles reflected on one of his favorite TNA matches against Abyss. Styles reflected on their Lockdown 2005 bout and labeled Abyss one of the top five giants he’s worked with across his extensive career.
“So this was the first time every match [on the PPV] was in a cage and we were the main event,” Styles said. “They go, ‘Well, what the heck are we going to do?’ Every match was in a cage. So we started our first, I believe it was the first 10 minutes of our match. The match hadn’t even started yet. It was on the outside. We’re going, fighting all around, and then once we get in the ring, ding ding ding, the match starts. We did another 10 to 15 minutes. But it was one of my favorite matches because — I mean tacks, I got busted open, chains, top of the cage, like outside of the cage, like it was, I don’t know who thought of all this stuff.
“I would love to tell you it was me, but I’m pretty sure it was both of us that came up with this. But I really think that was a brilliant match based on what we had to work with. But it’s like you said, he was probably one of the better big men, definitely that I’ve ever wrestled. He is right up there in my top five of ‘big man’ that could do it all and was willing to do it and could go and had great moves and a different character. Like, he was so good, man.”
Styles further praised Abyss’ character and revealed that there were backstage talks in WWE about having him compete in a Royal Rumble match at one point. However, that never ended up coming to fruition.
“There was a moment in time where we thought we were going to have him in the Royal Rumble. It didn’t go through and I hate that for him,” Styles said. “It would have been just like a stamp on Abyss. The character finally made it to the WWE. I would’ve loved that, but I guess somebody didn’t agree.”
Abyss (Chris Park) never got to make his WWE in-ring debut, but he’s now been working behind the scenes for the company as a producer since 2019. Last month, he made an on-screen appearance during a tribute WWE held for Styles following his retirement.
The 48-year-old Styles wrestled his final match this January and is set to be honored with a WWE Hall of Fame induction next month during WrestleMania weekend.
Rosanne Raphael is a wrestling writer with over three and a half years of experience covering all things related to the industry. From a kindergarten teacher to PR Associate to turning her lifelong passion for the industry into a career, Rosanne is currently writing for F4W Online where she focuses on wrestling news, analysis, and storytelling.
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