AJ Styles tipped to fight 20-year-old star before retirement from WWE

Before AJ Styles became an established WWE star, he was already a household name thanks to his work in TNA. Styles had many memorable matches and feuds in the company before moving on, but one upcoming star from his former promotion is eager to get in the ring with The Phenomenal One and has been tipped to do so.

20-year-old British wrestler Leon Slater will look to carry on Styles's legacy when he faces Moose for the X-Division Championship at Slammiversary. But the rising star has already set his eyes on a bigger match.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Slater opened up about his experience meeting Styles and how he believes a match between the two is bound to happen.

"The fact that he took time out of his day to watch my match and be gracious enough to give me some feedback afterwards was huge for me. So I’m gonna say when, not if, when it happens. I’m gonna be ready for it, man, and it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be legendary," he said.

Breaking Vince Russo and Jim Cornette update HERE.

The Phenomenal One met with Slater when he was present backstage for TNA's Final Resolution taping in Atlanta, Georgia. While Slater was in awe of Styles and didn't bring up the idea of facing him, former WWE star Trent Seven pitched the match to Styles.

"I had Trent Seven by the side of me at the time. He was cheeky enough to mention it. I don’t really think he heard him. He was like, 'Yeah, that would be cool. That would be cool.' But I don’t think he’s too familiar with me – but he will be,” Slater revealed.

Slater might have to wait for his turn to face Styles, since the former X-Division Champion has recently signed a new WWE contract. But with the ongoing TNA-WWE/NXT partnership, it certainly isn't impossible to see this match come to fruition down the line.

Details of new AJ Styles contract

AJ Styles's previous contract with WWE was reported to expire early in 2025. However, Fightful Select reported that those close to the wrestler have suggested that he has signed a new one-year extension with the company.

The former WWE Champion suffered an injury last October and was out of action until his return at the Royal Rumble this year.

AJ Styles had previously mentioned that he was likely to retire in WWE, and his reported new deal suggests that might well be the case.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Brandon Nell