Backstage Report On TNA Teasing Appearance By WWE Star AJ Styles

With TNA Slammiversary just days away, the company is pulling out all the stops to sell out Long Island’s UBS Arena — and it looks like they may be betting big on a blast from their past.

The buzz kicked off Tuesday when TNA President Carlos Silva dropped a not-so-subtle hint, promising fans that the pay-per-view would be “PHENOMENAL.” The choice of words sent the internet rumor machine into overdrive, with many interpreting it as a tease for an appearance by none other than AJ Styles.

Silva didn’t exactly pump the brakes when pressed about the tease in an interview with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp. In fact, according to Fightful Select, Silva doubled down, continuing to heavily imply that Styles might just show up. While TNA insiders stopped short of confirming anything, one source within the company reportedly believes Styles will appear — suggesting it would be a bad look for the promotion to hype a “phenomenal” surprise and not deliver.

AJ Styles, of course, is a cornerstone of TNA’s legacy. Long before becoming a WWE Grand Slam Champion, Styles made his name in TNA’s X-Division and held the World Heavyweight Title multiple times, becoming one of the faces of the promotion throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. His last TNA match came in December 2013 when he lost a world title unification bout to Nick Aldis. Styles nearly returned in 2015 before ultimately signing with WWE, where he’s been a top-tier star ever since.

As for Styles himself? The former “Face That Runs the Place” has kept quiet on the speculation. He’s currently wrapped up in a storyline with WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio, with no public indication that a TNA cameo is in the works.

Will TNA actually deliver AJ Styles at Slammiversary, or is this just a clever marketing swerve? Fans won’t have to wait long to find out. Either way, the buzz has done its job — and all eyes are now on Long Island this Sunday.