Frankie Kazarian has explained why he stepped in to prevent Avery Styles from wrestling AJ Francis in what would have been Avery’s first TNA match, framing the decision as a matter of experience, timing, and protecting a promising young talent from being rushed into a daunting situation.
Avery Styles made his TNA arrival at Lockdown, where he announced that he had signed with the promotion. The moment quickly became complicated when Kazarian confronted him. Kazarian welcomed Avery to TNA, but his message also carried a warning: the locker room is not a place where a newcomer can automatically trust everyone around him.
That warning took on greater meaning on the September 3 edition of TNA Impact. AJ Francis called out Avery and challenged him to a match. Avery accepted the challenge, apparently eager to make an immediate statement after joining the company. Kazarian later declined the match on Avery’s behalf, stopping the bout from becoming the young wrestler’s official in-ring starting point in TNA.
Speaking with Ropes N Riffs, Kazarian made clear that he understands why Avery would want to compete right away. At the same time, he argued that enthusiasm alone is not enough reason to place a wrestler with only a small number of matches under his belt against an opponent of Francis’ size and physical presence.
For more background on this topic, read Santino Marella Captures Gold at Jiu-Jitsu Con in Las Vegas.
“Look, it’s no secret, AJ Styles is legitimately one of my best friends on screen and off,” Kazarian said. “I’ve known the guy. He’s like a brother to me. I’ve told him in no uncertain terms that I’m looking out for your boy’s best interest no matter what.”
Kazarian’s reference to AJ Styles is particularly significant. Avery is entering the wrestling industry with a direct connection to one of the most accomplished performers of his generation, but Kazarian believes that connection also creates a responsibility for those around Avery. Rather than treating Avery’s name or family ties as a shortcut to immediate high-pressure opportunities, Kazarian sees his role as helping ensure the transition into TNA happens at an appropriate pace.
The veteran stressed that Avery remains at the beginning of his career. Kazarian described him as being only 10 or 11 matches into his in-ring journey and just a few months into wrestling. While he sees substantial potential in Avery, he does not believe potential should be confused with readiness for every challenge that might be presented.
“Avery, he’s 10, 11 matches in, and he’s special. He’s going to be special. But he is 10 or 11 matches in,” Kazarian said. “He’s a few months into this, and to send him out there with a guy the size of AJ Francis, who’s a killer, would be stupid.”
Francis presents a unique first-match proposition for any newcomer. The challenge was not simply about winning or losing; it was about entering the ring with an imposing opponent at a point when Avery is still accumulating the fundamental match experience that comes with working consistently. Kazarian’s position is that a wrestler can be talented, motivated, and eager to prove himself while still needing time before accepting a matchup of that nature.
In storyline terms, Kazarian’s intervention could appear controlling. Avery had already said yes to Francis, and the opportunity to make a rapid impact in a new promotion is difficult for a young wrestler to turn down. Kazarian, however, said he recognizes that impulse because he would have felt exactly the same way at Avery’s age.
“If I was Avery at 19 years old, I would be itching to get my first match too. I would have said yes and accepted too,” Kazarian said. “What I didn’t have at 19 years old that I do now is the experience and the knowledge that I do have.”
That distinction is at the center of Kazarian’s explanation. He is not portraying Avery’s willingness to face Francis as a weakness. Instead, he sees it as the natural confidence and urgency of a 19-year-old competitor eager to begin his TNA career. Kazarian’s concern is that the desire to seize a major moment can sometimes outweigh the long-term judgment that only comes from years in the industry.
For Kazarian, the decision was therefore not a rejection of Avery’s ambition. It was an effort to direct that ambition toward a debut situation better suited to Avery’s present level of experience. Kazarian said that, when the correct time comes for Avery to wrestle his first TNA match, he intends to support him fully.
“I’m only there for Avery’s best interest,” Kazarian said. “When it’s right for him to have his first match, I’ll be the one cheering the loudest.”
Kazarian Sees Himself As A Different Resource Than AJ Styles
Kazarian also addressed the role he can play alongside AJ Styles as Avery starts his own path. He spoke highly of Styles, calling him one of his closest friends and emphasizing the extensive knowledge Avery can receive simply by having his father’s guidance. Kazarian’s praise for Styles was unequivocal, as he placed him among the very best wrestlers in history.
“When AJ Styles is your father, you already have a wealth of knowledge about this business that most don’t,” Kazarian said. “We’re talking about one of the best to ever do it. We’re talking top five all time ever, any generation, any federation. I’m not saying that because I’m close with him, but I’m saying that because it’s a fact.”
Those comments underline the rare position Avery occupies as he begins his career. Most wrestlers beginning at 19 do not have direct day-to-day access to the perspective of a performer with AJ Styles’ body of work. That does not remove the challenges attached to developing as a wrestler, but it does give Avery a valuable foundation of advice and perspective as he learns.
At the same time, Kazarian said he brings a viewpoint that is not identical to Styles’. Their careers have long been linked, but their paths have also differed over the past decade. That means Avery can potentially benefit from different forms of counsel rather than receiving only one perspective on how to navigate the business.
Kazarian specifically pointed to his deep history in TNA. He has been associated with the company from its earliest years and has witnessed its highs and lows. In his view, that firsthand experience gives him a useful understanding of the environment Avery has just entered.
“Then with me, I bring a different perspective than AJ because our careers obviously are intertwined, but the last decade we took different paths,” Kazarian said. “There are certain things that AJ can tell Avery that I don’t necessarily have as much information on and there’s things I can tell Avery that AJ doesn’t have as much information on.”
Kazarian continued by noting that his TNA background can be especially valuable when Avery encounters the specific situations that come with joining the promotion. It is not simply a matter of match preparation. A young wrestler also has to understand the personalities, expectations, pressures, and unpredictability that can come with establishing himself in a new locker room.
“Especially when it comes to TNA itself, I’ve been with this company since the beginning,” Kazarian said. “I’ve seen the ups and downs. So I can really kind of steer Avery in the right direction when it comes to certain things that are going to happen in TNA.”
Avery Styles’ TNA Debut Remains A Story To Watch
The immediate result of Kazarian’s intervention is that Avery Styles’ first TNA match remains unresolved. He has made his signing public, has already been targeted by AJ Francis, and has shown no hesitation in accepting a difficult challenge. Yet Kazarian has established himself as a firm voice urging patience, even if that means making decisions Avery may not initially welcome.
That tension gives Avery’s next steps added intrigue. Francis issued a challenge and Avery accepted it, making the delayed match an obvious possibility if circumstances change. Kazarian, meanwhile, has openly committed himself to acting in Avery’s interests while offering the kind of company-specific guidance he believes a newcomer needs.
Whether Avery ultimately agrees with Kazarian’s approach is still to be seen. What is clear is that Kazarian does not question Avery’s upside. He repeatedly described him as special and as someone who can become special, but he also insists that the process matters. For Kazarian, the priority is not merely getting Avery into a TNA ring as quickly as possible. The priority is making sure that, when that first match happens, Avery is placed in the strongest possible position to begin building a career that can live up to the attention surrounding his arrival.
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.