TNA Announce WWE Superstar AJ Styles Will Appear At Slammiversary

AJ Styles is coming home for the first time in nearly 12 years.
TNA and President Carlos Silva announced on Friday morning that "The Phenomenal One" would be making his return to the company, appearing at this coming Sunday's Slammiversary event.
The Takedown on SI reported on Thursday that Styles was expected to be a part of the show, though talent were unaware of what his role would be. TNA officials had been working for some time to make the move happen, and it comes in tandem with its partnership with WWE. Styles is by far the biggest name to appear for TNA since the working relationship began in an official capacity earlier this year, though TNA World Champion Joe Hendry faced Randy Orton in a surprise match at WrestleMania.
A release from TNA notes that "Silva did not comment on what Styles will be doing at Slammiversary, the showcase event of the year that features two high-profile championship matches involving TNA and NXT stars, and many other much-anticipated matches." As reported by The Takedown, people in the company were optimistic Styles appearing could lead to him working a match for the brand at some point.
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Styles last wrestled for TNA in December of 2013, losing to current SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis (then known as Magnus). He would debut for WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, entering the Rumble match at No. 3 and facing Chris Jericho at WrestleMania that year.
The 48-year-old recently signed a one-year contract extension with WWE. He is widely considered to be one of the biggest TNA stars of all time, spending 11 years with the company. TNA has sold out the lower bowl for the event, and officials project it will be its most-attended U.S. event ever.
We’re moving the stage back to accommodate more fans. This event will be TNA’s greatest achievement and trust me it’s going to be PHENOMENAL. #Slammiversary #TNA @ThisIsTNA pic.twitter.com/9BUxjiIQjj
— Carlos Silva (@carlossilva) July 15, 2025
TNA Slammiversary takes place this Sunday at the UBS Arena on Long Island, N.Y. You can read more about the event in our interview with Silva here.
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Jon Alba is an Emmy Award and SPJ Award-winning journalist who has broken some of pro wrestling's biggest stories. In addition to writing for The Takedown on SI, he is the host of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast, and a host and contributor for Sportsnet New York. Additionally, he has been on beats for teams across MLB, the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS during more than a decade in the sports media sphere. Jon is a graduate of Quinnipiac University with a B.A. degree in Journalism.
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