AJ Francis has offered a pointed explanation for targeting Avery Styles in TNA, framing the potential match as the latest chapter in an issue he says has been unresolved for years with Avery’s father, AJ Styles.

Francis called out Avery Styles on the September 3 edition of TNA Impact. Avery accepted the challenge, creating the possibility of what would have been a notable TNA debut match for the younger Styles. However, Frankie Kazarian intervened before the bout could become official, leaving the situation unsettled and Francis without the match he had sought.

Speaking with SA Live, Francis was asked why Avery had become the focus of his attention. His answer made clear that, in his view, the challenge is rooted less in Avery’s own actions and more in Francis’ frustration toward the former WWE Champion.

“I’m calling him out because his daddy is ducking me. I’ve been trying to fight his daddy for years. We almost fought one time on SmackDown. It ended up not happening. He sucker punched me, gave me a Phenomenal Forearm after the match. He didn’t have to do that, so I’ve been trying to call him out for years. Now, because his son is in TNA, I’m gonna spank his son like he should have a long time ago.”

For more background on this topic, read TNA Impact Delivers Bound For Glory Stakes as Moose Survives Kazarian, M Retains and New Rivalries Build.

Francis Revisits Unfinished Business With AJ Styles

The core of Francis’ comments is his assertion that AJ Styles has avoided a singles confrontation with him. Francis pointed back to a time when he and Styles nearly faced one another on SmackDown, only for the proposed contest not to materialize. Francis also cited a post-match Phenomenal Forearm from Styles as the incident that left him looking for payback.

That history gives Francis a clear storyline rationale for pursuing Avery in TNA. While AJ Styles is not the man standing across the ring from him, Francis sees Avery’s arrival as an opportunity to confront the Styles family in a different form. His language was deliberately provocative, with Francis presenting himself as someone willing to make Avery pay for a dispute that began with his father.

The situation also puts Avery Styles in a difficult position before his TNA run has truly had the chance to begin. Avery answered Francis’ initial callout, signaling that he was prepared to meet the outspoken TNA personality in the ring. Yet Kazarian’s involvement prevented that encounter from being made official. The interruption delayed a match that could have immediately tested Avery against one of the promotion’s most visible and vocal figures.

Avery Styles’ Debut Remains in Question

The September 3 confrontation established multiple unresolved threads. First, Francis still wants a match with Avery Styles. Second, Avery has already indicated that he is willing to accept the challenge. Third, Frankie Kazarian’s decision to stop the match from becoming official means there is now another obstacle between Francis and the confrontation he wants.

For Francis, the delayed match gives him more time to amplify his message. He has not portrayed Avery as simply a newcomer looking to make an impact. Instead, he has characterized him as the son of a rival who, Francis believes, left their own conflict unfinished. That framing turns any future Francis-Avery match into more than a debut opportunity; it becomes an extension of Francis’ longstanding attempt to get to AJ Styles.

Whether Avery embraces that family connection or rejects Francis’ attempt to define him through his father remains an important question. Francis is openly using AJ Styles’ name to generate heat and establish stakes. Avery, meanwhile, has an opportunity to show that he is entering TNA as his own competitor rather than merely as a target selected because of his lineage.

There is also the issue of Kazarian. His role on the September 3 edition of TNA Impact ensured that Francis and Avery did not get their match then, but it did not settle Francis’ challenge. The interruption could prove to be a temporary delay, or it could further alter the direction of Avery’s first major TNA program. At present, the key fact is that no official Francis-Avery match came out of that exchange.

Francis Uses His Platform to Make the Case

Francis has built a reputation for speaking with confidence about his place in professional wrestling, and his comments about Avery Styles fit naturally within that approach. He did not present the issue as a casual challenge or a one-off matchup. Instead, he emphasized a years-long grievance, a missed fight on SmackDown, and what he views as an unnecessary attack from AJ Styles after a match.

In separate comments, Francis has also made the case that he is the LeBron James of professional wrestling. That comparison reflects the scale of his self-belief and the way he sees his standing within the industry. In the Avery Styles situation, that confidence is evident in the certainty with which Francis speaks: he believes AJ Styles has avoided him, he believes Avery is now the available path to settling the matter, and he believes he can use the match to send a message to the entire Styles family.

That is a familiar formula in wrestling, but it carries particular intrigue here because the conflict bridges different stages of the business. AJ Styles has one of the most accomplished resumes of his generation, while Avery is at the beginning of a potential TNA journey. Francis is attempting to connect those two realities by insisting that a match with Avery can address a problem he has with AJ.

Of course, a victory over Avery would not literally settle a score with AJ Styles. But Francis is not treating it as a substitute in a quiet or subtle way. He is using the connection to create pressure, provoke a response, and make sure that Avery’s name enters TNA conversation with immediate stakes attached to it.

What Comes Next in TNA?

No official date for AJ Francis versus Avery Styles was established when Kazarian stopped the September 3 match from being finalized. That leaves TNA with a confrontation that has been introduced but not resolved. Francis’ latest comments make it difficult to view the matter as finished, especially when he has now publicly explained the personal motivation behind his callout.

If the match is eventually sanctioned, it would provide Avery Styles with a major early test. Francis brings physicality, experience, and an ability to command attention whenever he has a microphone. He has also made the emotional stakes unmistakable. Avery would not simply be trying to win his TNA debut; he would be confronting a wrestler who is determined to turn him into the focal point of an old dispute.

For Francis, the match would offer the chance to back up his words after Kazarian prevented the initial challenge from moving forward. He has made clear that he does not believe his issue with AJ Styles has disappeared. Instead, he sees Avery’s presence in TNA as a fresh opening in a conflict that he says dates back years.

The most immediate takeaway is straightforward: AJ Francis wants Avery Styles, and he wants the match because of AJ Styles. The challenge has been made, Avery has accepted, and Kazarian has delayed the collision. Until those three elements are resolved, Francis’ pursuit of the Styles family will remain one of the more personal unresolved situations surrounding TNA programming.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.