AJ Styles Says He Was In His Prime In WWE As Opposed To TNA

AJ Styles has explained why he was in his prime in WWE rather than TNA Wrestling.

The retired WWE wrestler's star rose during his time in TNA, but he feels that he was truly at his best years later in WWE. The WWE Hall of Famer recently spoke to Cody Rhodes on the latter's "What Do You Want To Talk About?" podcast, where he said that he was not only in great shape in WWE, but had also developed a strong understanding of in-ring storytelling.

"A lot of people say, 'Well, that prime AJ Styles was in TNA.' I disagree. I was in the best shape of my life when I got to WWE, but I understood psychology. So there wasn't a dive every second and all these things that didn't need to be done. There was things that I thought was needed for that part of the match. And just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do something," explained Styles. "A lot of people don't understand that when they're young, but you will as you get older, it makes a lot more sense. And it's easy for fans to follow, which is important."

Rhodes seemed to agree with Styles' assessment, stating that "The Phenomenal One" was in the best shape of his career when he joined WWE. He added that Styles had also learned how to stay healthy and keep his body in good condition while wrestling at a high level.

Styles' physique improved significantly in the final few years of his legendary career, and he looked noticeably bigger when he returned to WWE in December 2023. He has said the secret to a long career is knowing what to do and when, and listening to his body, advice he also gave to AEW's Will Ospreay when discussing the Englishman's talent.