By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S DVD REVIEW SERIES
“A.J. STYLES: LEAVING AN IMPACT”
RELEASED BY HIGHSPOTS IN 2014

It’s amazing to see what A.J. Styles has accomplished in 2014 since this interview was filmed on Jan. 2. The interview, hosted by Highspots owner Michael Bochicchio, picks up from when Styles last sat down with Highspots in 2006. Styles appears at ease throughout the interview, as Highspots traveled to Styles’s house to shoot the interview in his man cave.

One of the first topics brought up is Styles going back to the independent scene. Styles admits that he’s not familiar with the independent scene because he hadn’t taken many dates in recent years after TNA jacked up his booking fee. Styles believes TNA increased his fee to ensure he didn’t get hurt taking independent dates. One of the things that wasn’t mentioned was TNA’s edict that their talent couldn’t be featured on DVD releases essentially wiping out the visibility of their talent on the independents.

Styles talks about doing around 70 house show dates for TNA per year in addition to TV and PPV, so he definitely had a full schedule. Bochicchio asks the right questions about TNA’s house show business and Styles hits the nail on the head when he talks about TNA being unable to get the message out about their brand coming to different markets for house shows. TNA has consistently had problems drawing fans to their house shows in various markets and one of the things TNA hasn’t been able to do is create a national brand identity. Styles mentions that when he would go to certain towns for a house show, he wouldn’t see any signs advertising that TNA was in town, which is a huge issue.

It wasn’t surprising when Styles revealed he hadn’t any contact with WWE since his release. WWE’s philosophy is not to sign TNA talent and grow their roster through their developmental system in NXT. “I’ve been in the wrestling business long enough to know you don’t get excited about anything,” said Styles about the prospects of WWE contacting him. One thing Styles does mention that was interesting is that he knows Vince McMahon likes to make money and if he thinks he can make money off of someone, he will.

Back in January, Styles didn’t have a good chance of being signed by WWE, but given his success as a top visiting star in ROH and making a splash as the IWGP Hvt. Champion in NJPW, it wouldn’t be a surprise if WWE had their eye on Styles now. Styles mentions during the interview that he was fully committed to TNA while he was there and now he is fully committed to ROH.

It’s interesting looking back at Styles comments at the time this interview was filmed, as he briefly mentioned wrestling in Japan, but it was never a major focus of the interview. Styles was involved in so many poor storylines in TNA and it’s not a surprise that WWE would look at him as damaged goods having the TNA stigma, but looking at Styles and how he’s performed in ROH and his mic work since joining the Bullet Club, it’s clear that Styles is capable of drawing money on a national level.

Styles talks about his contract negotiations with TNA in-depth and it is clear that Styles was a victim of TNA’s cost-cutting due to the financial mistakes they’ve made in recent years. Boccichio does a good job of asking the right questions about Styles’s negotiations with TNA and it’s clear Styles wanted to stay, but he wasn’t happy with TNA’s offer. He said his last contract was for 5 years, but the contract they offered was for two. “It was just hurtful that they would even offer that to me.”

Bochicchio mentions at one point that if TNA wanted to keep Styles, they could have found a way to meet his price, but they didn’t and it’s clear that Styles was hurt. It’s amazing that TNA continues to bring in WWE castoffs like MVP and Bobby Lashley, but they can’t find a way to retain wrestlers that have been the lifeblood of the company like Styles, Daniels, and Kazarian.

Styles said before Hogan and Bischoff came in, he thought things were going well and the company was growing. He says they weren’t hurting for new talent to come. He thought the talent they had was the talent they should use. Styles said he tried to look at Hogan coming in as a positive because everything he touched had turned to gold, but he was wrong. Styles is challenged on that statement by Bochicchio and he says he was really hopefully that when Hogan came to TNA, everything he touched would turn to gold. Styles said Hogan popped the rating for one show and they didn’t recover since then. Styles said the live audience popped huge, but it was like the people watching on TV didn’t care.

Bochicchio makes a key statement when he mentions that Hogan wasn’t on live events and didn’t wrestle. Styles said they should have used Hogan to go to towns and advertise the TNA brand. Bochicchio says when Hogan was doing national interviews he didn’t say anything all. “It pissed me off,” said Styles of Hogan not mentioning TNA when doing interview on national TV. “I thought this was what he came here to do and he didn’t do any of it.” Styles said he took pride in TNA and nobody went up to him and told him to say something about TNA when he was doing interviews. Styles said nobody said anything to Hogan and that’s what made him angry. Styles said it cost Dixie a lot of money because she didn’t earn respect from the people that ran all over her.

Overall thoughts: (8.0) – This is a very good interview. Bochicchio asks the right questions to probe Styles about his time in TNA and his failed contract negotiations that lead to him departing from the company. Styles comes across as honest and intelligent during this interview. He makes a lot of good points about the mistakes TNA made and how the homegrown talent was continually cut off anytime they gained momentum by management in favor of a wrestler with a TNA background.

Styles makes a lot of good points about TNA’s business model and discusses everything from their house show business to taping most of their TV in front of the same audience for Spike TV week in and week out in Orlando. He manages to do make all of his points by coming across as more disappointed than bitter when it comes from his time in TNA and eventual departure. It’s clear that Styles was a company guy and gave everything he had for TNA, despite his frustrations.

The key line comes towards of the interview when Styles is asked about TNA’s future in relation to Jeff Jarrett cutting ties with the company. Styles says if someone has put all his time and money into a company isn't going down with the ship, something has to be wrong. Styles said Jarrett leaving contributed to him holding off resigning. He says Jarrett loved the company as much as he did. "Isn't that a red flag for anybody that is in my position?"

You can purchase “A.J. Styles: Leavin an Impact” on DVD by clicking HERE or by visiting Highspots.com.

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