Avery Styles may still be introducing himself to much of the TNA Wrestling audience, but the 19-year-old is already finding connections inside the locker room. One of the strongest has come with former TNA World Champion Rich Swann, a performer Styles described in glowing terms while discussing the people he has met since arriving in the company.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Styles said he and Swann developed a natural rapport almost immediately. While the two have not yet wrestled one another in TNA, Styles made it clear that he would be enthusiastic about sharing the ring with Swann whenever that opportunity arrives.
“He's hilarious, one of the funniest guys I've ever met,” Styles said. “I really like him. So that would be a great match as well. That'd be awesome.”
The comments provide one of the clearest looks yet at the relationships Styles is forming in TNA. His name naturally brings attention because he is the son of WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles, but Avery Styles has begun to establish his own presence through his early appearances and by showing a willingness to speak openly about the wrestlers around him.
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His biggest in-ring moment to date came at Bound for Glory, where he entered the Call Your Shot battle royal. Styles made a significant impression in the match by surviving until the final four. His run ultimately ended when AJ Francis eliminated him, but reaching that stage placed the young wrestler among the final contenders in one of TNA’s most prominent annual battle royals.
That performance did not result in the Call Your Shot victory, yet it gave Styles an important platform. Battle royals can be especially useful for newer talent because they offer performers a chance to interact with a broad section of the roster while also testing their composure in a high-pressure setting. Styles’ final-four showing ensured that he was involved in the match’s closing stretch rather than simply being another early exit.
Styles sees an immediate chemistry with Swann
When asked about Swann, Styles focused less on championships, experience, or the former world champion’s athletic credentials. Instead, he emphasized the personality and energy that Swann brings to their interactions away from the ring. For Styles, that personal chemistry appears to be the foundation for his interest in a future match.
“We just hit it off,” Styles said. “I love his energy. I've never seen anyone like him. He's the funniest guy I've ever met in my life.”
That is a notable endorsement from a wrestler still at the beginning of his TNA career. A young performer entering an established locker room has to learn the rhythms of a new environment, and supportive relationships can matter as much as any single match. Styles’ remarks suggest Swann has become one of the people helping make that transition easier.
They also point toward a potentially interesting matchup should TNA decide to put them across the ring from one another. Styles’ desire to face Swann does not indicate that a match has been announced or scheduled. It does, however, establish a matchup that the rookie himself views as appealing, particularly because their connection has developed organically rather than through an existing rivalry.
In professional wrestling, genuine off-screen rapport can lead in several directions. It can make an eventual one-on-one bout feel more meaningful, create the basis for an alliance, or simply help an emerging wrestler gain confidence while working alongside a respected veteran. At this stage, Styles and Swann have not been positioned together in a formal TNA storyline, so the eventual direction of their association remains open.
Different Bound for Glory paths
Both men competed at Bound for Glory, though they took part in very different contests. Styles entered the Call Your Shot battle royal and lasted to the final four before Francis eliminated him. Swann, meanwhile, was included in the seven-way match for the vacant X-Division Championship.
The X-Division title bout brought together a crowded field competing for a championship with a long history in TNA. Swann did not leave the event with the title, as The Amazing Red won the seven-way match to become champion. Even without a championship change in his favor, Swann’s placement in that match reflected his continued involvement in a major part of the card.
For Styles, the Call Your Shot showing marked his first major TNA match. The distinction is important because his current story is centered on early development. He has already drawn attention for being AJ Styles’ son, and there has also been attention surrounding a controversy involving the setting up of chairs. But his performance at Bound for Glory provided an opportunity for the conversation to return to his in-ring prospects.
Reaching the final four did not make Styles the winner, but it did establish that TNA was willing to feature him late in a match built around endurance, awareness, and surviving a constantly changing field. The next question is how that exposure translates into individual rivalries, tag-team opportunities, or more matches with established names on the roster.
Swann brings championship experience
A match with Swann would give Styles a chance to work with one of the more accomplished performers in TNA’s recent history. Swann previously held the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for more than 180 days from 2020 into 2021, a reign that placed him at the center of the company during that period.
His background makes him a logical name for an emerging wrestler to study, whether they are paired as allies or opponents. Styles did not specifically frame Swann as a mentor, and there is no indication that the two have entered into any official mentorship arrangement. Still, the respect in Styles’ comments is evident, and Swann’s experience could make any future match a valuable test for a competitor just starting to gain a foothold on the roster.
The potential contrast also has clear appeal. Styles is a young wrestler beginning to collect major-event experience, while Swann is a former world champion who has already competed at a high level in TNA across several years. A bout between them would offer Styles an opportunity to measure himself against a proven performer, while Swann could bring his pace and personality to an encounter with a new face looking to build momentum.
There is also a small point of wrestling history connecting the two families. Swann and AJ Styles were both under the WWE umbrella for a period, though they did not work together. Avery Styles’ present-day connection with Swann is therefore not a continuation of an established relationship between Swann and his father; it is its own relationship, formed through their time together in TNA.
An early indication of Styles’ TNA identity
As Avery Styles continues to gain experience, he will likely face the challenge that comes with carrying a famous wrestling surname. The attention surrounding his father is unavoidable, especially given AJ Styles’ standing as a WWE Hall of Famer. Yet the younger Styles’ comments about Swann offer a more personal glimpse of what he is discovering in his own wrestling environment.
Rather than discussing legacy, he spoke about humor, energy, and the ease of getting along with another TNA wrestler. Those details may not determine the next match on the schedule, but they help shape how audiences understand a newcomer beyond his family connection. Styles is not only entering a roster filled with established names; he is beginning to identify the peers and potential opponents who make him excited about the work ahead.
For now, a Styles-Swann match remains only a possibility raised by Styles himself. There has been no announced bout between them, and their Bound for Glory appearances kept them in separate matches. Still, the idea has a straightforward hook: a rookie who has already made a late run in the Call Your Shot battle royal would like the chance to test himself against a former TNA World Champion whose personality has made a strong impression on him.
That kind of organic chemistry can be difficult to manufacture. Whether it eventually becomes a competitive rivalry, a partnership, or simply a valued locker-room friendship, Styles’ admiration for Swann is already clear. As his TNA career moves forward after Bound for Glory, it is one connection worth watching.
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Darryl Polo
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.