• Home
  • Movies
  • Music
  • TV
  • Video Games
  • Wrestling
  • Topics
  • Latest Comments on Cult of Whatever
Search
Cult of Whatever logo
  • Movies
    Featured
    • The Living Daylights: Timothy Dalton as James Bond

      The Living Daylights is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 28, 2022
      Movie Blogs
    Recent
    • Lethal Weapon: Danny Glover and Mel Gibson as Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs

      Lethal Weapon is still awesome thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 9, 2022
    • Nope: Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya

      REVIEW: “NOPE” wants to be more than it is, which is just good enough

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 22, 2022
    • Brave: Kelly Macdonald voices Princess Merida

      Ten years later, BRAVE remains Pixar’s most underrated film

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 21, 2022
    • A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Heather Langenkamp as Nancy

      A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 20, 2022
    • Where The Crawdads Sing: Daisy Edgar Jones and David Strathairn

      REVIEW: Where the Crawdads Sing deftly blends genres to good effect

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 19, 2022
    • Thor Love and Thunder: Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth as The Mighty Thor and Thor

      REVIEW: THOR – LOVE AND THUNDER is an adventure of mirth and sadness alike

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 9, 2022
  • Music
    Random
    • Paul Mccartney 2

      One on One with Paul McCartney

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 8, 2016
      Music Blogs
    Recent
    • The Beatles: Get Back

      What GET BACK reveals about the Beatles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 15, 2021
    • Simon And Garfunkel at Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam1982

      The Boxer is a song about being conned

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 4, 2021
    • Lady Gaga: Chromatica Album Cover

      Lady Gaga’s discography is totally out of order

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 3, 2021
    • Michael Jackson Thriller Album Cover

      Thirty years ago music fans said “Nevermind” to Michael Jackson

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 21, 2021
    • Queen II Album Cover

      On Queen’s The Miracle, and the importance of track ordering

      By Matthew Martin
      | February 16, 2021
    • Linda Paul Mccartney 1976

      50 years ago, McCartney dropped “Lennon” and went solo…

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 5, 2020
  • TV
    Featured
    • Nancy Drew S03e01: Kennedy McMann as Nancy

      Nancy Drew S03E01 Review: The Warning of the Frozen Heart - Uh-oh!

      By Salome G
      | October 10, 2021
      TV Blogs
    Recent
    • American Horror Stories S02e04 Cody Fern and Seth Gabel as Thomas and Walter

      American Horror Stories S02E04 Review: Milkmaids – Very ambitious

      By Salome G
      | August 14, 2022
    • Roswell New Mexico S04e09: Allie Myers and Jeanine Mason as Shiri Appleby and Liz Ortecho

      Roswell, New Mexico S04E09 Review: Wild Wild West- Okay…

      By Salome G
      | August 11, 2022
    • Evil S03e09: Party Time

      Evil S03E09 Review: The Demon of Money – Dark moments…

      By Salome G
      | August 8, 2022
    • American Horror Stories S02e03: Bella Thorne as Marci

      American Horror Stories S02E03 Review: Drive – Unsettling experiences

      By Salome G
      | August 8, 2022
    • The Orville S03: Penny Johnson Jerald and Mark Jackson as Dr. Claire Finn and Isaac

      The Orville season three finale review: Don’t say goodbye

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 8, 2022
    • Roswell New Mexico S04e08: Michael Vlamis as Michael Guerin

      Roswell, New Mexico S04E08 Review: Missing My Baby – The truth hurts

      By Salome G
      | August 3, 2022
  • Video Games
    Featured
    • Arkham Knight

      Batman: Arkham Knight - A fitting end to a trilogy

      By Tom Farr
      | July 18, 2015
      Video Game Reviews
    Recent
    • Nintendo Switch Logo

      Looking ahead to the Switch 2: Predictions and Wants

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 15, 2022
    • Legend Of Zelda

      Can a Legend of Zelda movie work?

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 6, 2022
    • Super Mario 64

      Which system had the better launch: A battle of four Nintendo consoles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 1, 2021
    • Luigi's Mansion

      Happy twentieth to Nintendo’s underrated gem, the Gamecube

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 18, 2021
    • Metroid Dread

      Metroid Dread – Post Game analysis and sequel needs

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 29, 2021
    • Mario Headphones

      The SNES Turns 30: A look at some of the system’s best soundtracks

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 22, 2021
  • Wrestling
    Featured
    • Wwe Payback 2017 Poster 2

      Your SO OF COURSE preview of WWE Payback 2017

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 30, 2017
      WWE Blogs
    Recent
    • AEW Dark: Ricky Starks (22/09/20)

      The future of the AEW World Championship

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 14, 2022
    • AEW Forbidden Door 2022: Claudio Castagnoli

      ROH Death Before Dishonor 2022 kickstarted a new era with a bang

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 25, 2022
    • Vince Mcmahon Stone Cold Podcast

      Vince McMahon is out as WWE chief. First reactions here…

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 22, 2022
    • AEW Double or Nothing 2022: CM Punk vs Adam Page

      REVIEW: AEW Double or Nothing 2022 delivered an up-and-down show

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 30, 2022
    • MJF on AEW Dynamite 17th November 2021

      Getting AEW to the next level…

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 29, 2022
    • Raw 210501: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon

      May 21, 2001 – A (forgotten) date that will live in WWE infamy

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 20, 2022
  • Topics
    • site logo
    Latest
    • Looking ahead to the Switch 2: Predictions and Wants
    • American Horror Stories S02E04 Review: Milkmaids - Very ambitious
    • The future of the AEW World Championship
    • Roswell, New Mexico S04E09 Review: Wild Wild West- Okay...
    • Lethal Weapon is still awesome thirty-five years later
    • Evil S03E09 Review: The Demon of Money - Dark moments...

    AJ Styles Done with TNA? (January 9th iMPACT Spoilers)

    By Contel Bradford
    | January 8, 2014
    TNA

    AJ Styles. TNA Wrestling. The names are almost synonymous. This may be the case, if not forever, for many years to come. But as of now, the future of AJ Styles and TNA is all but uncertain.

    Tna Aj Styles Title London 2010

    Despite being one of the company’s two current World Heavyweight Champions in the Spike TV timeline, those of us who’ve been intimately following the story through daily updates, discussions, spoilers and all, realize that the chances of AJ Styles leaving TNA are very likely. Heck, he may already be gone!

    You see, while he recently popped up in an Impact Wrestling ring for the first time in more than a month, the Phenomenal One is taking independent bookings for the first time in nearly a decade, apparently as a free agent.

    How We Got Here

    To recap, Styles was thrust in what looked to be another major run at the top with the TNA world title. But one could argue that this great run never fully developed. After tearing through the Bound For Glory Series in epic fashion, he secured a title shot against then World Champion Bully Ray at TNA’s biggest event of the year. In what seemed very odd at the time, AJ’s date with destiny at Bound For Glory was suddenly overshadowed by a feud with President Dixie Carter, who surprisingly turned heel to play the role of evil corporate dictator.

    I thought the feud was random to begin with, but it appeared to be based around AJ’s displeasure with Dixie’s handling of the company. He alluded to things like being looked over for WWE castoffs and then constantly having to put the promotion on his back when those aspirations didn’t go as planned. Styles eventually revealed that he didn’t have a contract, essentially setting the tone for the angle and all that would unfold.

    Styles went on to win the world title for a fifth time, but his moment in the nationally televised sun was short lived. The feud with Dixie Carter took an even stranger turn on the Impact following Bound For Glory, when AJ successfully defended his championship in a rematch against Bully Ray. The show ended with Styles rejecting Dixie’s offer – ripping up a contract and driving off in her convertible, which she attempted to gift him in an attempted swoon, with the title in tow.

    With her main attraction having split with the title, Dixie decided to host a tournament to crown a new champion. As the tournament unfolded, Impact teased us to footage of Styles defending the TNA title against top talent overseas in Mexico and Japan. This footage, said to have been brought to us by the “Friends of AJ”, gave the impression that we were in the midst of an elaborate work and more importantly, that Styles was still in fact a member of the TNA roster.

    The AJ Styles storyline took a dramatic twist when the spoilers for the January 9 episode of Impact hit the internet. Against what I usually consider better judgment, I read them, rattled to learn that in challenging new TNA World Champion Magnus in a match to unify the titles, Styles had not only lost, but cut an emotional off-air promo following the match, thanking the crowd and for now at least, appearing to say goodbye to TNA.

    Aj Styles Hood

    Since that episode of Impact Wrestling featuring Styles vs. Magnus was taped, AJ has been quite busy working dates on the independent scene. In recent interviews, he has adamantly denied resigning with TNA, firmly stating that the current situation is in fact real and not a work. If his word wasn’t enough, the ultimate proof in the pudding, if you will, may be the fact that Styles signed on to do a few shows with rival Ring of Honor, which he last wrestled for in 2006. For over the past seven years, Styles has been the consistent face of TNA Wrestling.

    The Year of AJ Styles

    So what’s next for the Phenomenal AJ Styles? Based on his age (36) and the perception that it’s already stocked with its fair share of similar wrestlers in the small and high-flying type, one would think the ship on a WWE run has already sailed. A TNA return is always a possibility, but if money is the issue, which has been hinted in reports of the failed negotiations between the two sides, the independent market may actually be the more prosperous route. As the hottest free agent in the business, it’s possible that he could make more hopping from one promotion to the next than in TNA.

    Fans of AJ are surely hoping they can continue to watch this uber talented wrestler put on four and five-star matches for as long as his fire for the business burns. Whether it’s TNA, WWE, ROH, or some unknown promotion hosting a show at a local high school, for them, I’m sure it doesn’t matter.

    Since the inception of the New World Order in 1996, the wrestling industry has gotten its jollies off on blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality. Is this more of the same? What do you think 2014 holds for AJ Styles?

    Share this article:

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit

    Tags

    AJ StylesRing of HonorrohTNA

    COMMENTS

    Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

    Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

    Subscribe
    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    Notify of
    guest

    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    guest

    3 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Raphael M
    Raphael M
    8 years ago

    I turned TNA off for good last week. It has gotten so utterly ridiculous and convoluted, it boggles my mind. The Carters have turned TNA into a tax write-off for Panda Cos. and it won’t be getting better anytime soon. This is one of the reasons for its apparent lack of direction over the years, the payroll problems last year, the comings and goings of talents the last few years (let’s face it Hogan, Flair, & Bischoff were a complete waste of time and money). And when Dixie Carter is inserting herself as the face of the storyline, that’s a… Read more »

    0
    Reply
    epalner203
    epalner203
    8 years ago

    AJ has already signed with ROH. He appeared at their tv taping the other night and is starting to be book more and more for their live events. Styles is done with TNA.

    0
    Reply
    Doug Denslowe
    Doug Denslowe
    8 years ago

    Great story! I’m waiting to see what happens!

    0
    Reply

    You might also like

    • TNA: Total Nonstop… Apathy?

      By Steve Sky
      | July 1, 2011
    • TNA: Creating An Alternative To WWE

      By Ben Spindler
      | May 8, 2013
    • Christopher Daniels Interview

      By Dean Reilly
      | June 1, 2013

    FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

    Wrestling Topics

    Recommended for you

    • The future of the AEW World Championship

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 14, 2022
    • ROH Death Before Dishonor 2022 kickstarted a new era with a bang

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 25, 2022
    • Vince McMahon is out as WWE chief. First reactions here…

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 22, 2022
    • Getting AEW to the next level…

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 29, 2022
    • Your WAY TOO EARLY predictions for WWE WrestleMania 39!

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 20, 2022
    • What we want from an AEW video game

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 31, 2021
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy and Settings
    • Terms of Use
    • Photo Credits
    • RSS
    All Cult of Whatever articles, logos, illustrations and graphics are copyright CultOfWhatever.com. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. © 2021 CultOfWhatever. All Rights Reserved.
    • facebook
    • twitter
    wpDiscuz