"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles is not only the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, he's the high-flying heart of a company that's undergone some big changes recently. FanHouse had a chance to chat with Styles as he prepares to face "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero in a steel cage at Sunday night's Lockdown pay-per-view (April 18, 8PM ET/5PM PT).

We asked Styles how it feels to be the longest-reigning heavyweight champ in the company's history, what he expects from his big match in St. Louis, what it's like to work closely with Ric Flair, and much more.

Our complete interview with Styles is below.

FanHouse: How does it feel to be the longest-reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, topping Sting's previous reign just recently, especially in an age where we see titles change hands often in pro wrestling?
AJ Styles: I actually didn't realize I kept it that long. That's pretty cool, and I'm going to see if I can hold it a little bit longer than that. I'd like to see if I can make it a whole year. But wow, I didn't know that. That's amazing. I'm going to have to fit that into promos of mine and let everyone know how great AJ Styles really is.

You've got TNA Lockdown coming up this weekend. You've been on lots of great matches on TNA pay-per-views in the past. Do you see your match with "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero being one of your best yet and what will that steel-cage match be like?
It's hard to go into Lockdown and not have a great match when you're in front of the St. Louis fans. They've been some of the best fans I've ever been in front of, and they know what it's like to have Lockdown there, so they know what to expect. It's gonna be hard not to have a great match. I think we're definitely capable of having that five-star match, it's just going out there and doing it.



Share317 What are your thoughts about TNA iMPACT! moving to Monday nights at 8 o'clock? Did you prefer the 9 o'clock slot or this 8PM one better?
Actually, I prefer the 8-to-10, because whether we like it or not, we have kids watching our show. And that sometimes is bad and good, but if they're gonna watch it at least they have the opportunity to do that at 8 o'clock. I know my kids are getting into bed by 9 o'clock, so at least they get an hour of wrestling, and you know, then we can get those fans before anybody else does. So I think it's a good idea, I wish we had done that from the get-go.

You mention an interesting factor with the kids, and obviously TNA has to try to distinguish a little bit from what the WWE product is, which seems to be very kid-oriented, if you look at a lot of what they do. How do you feel about stuff like the blood impact, since you mention you have kids of your own. Are you comfortable with any kind of product shift?
Well, I'm hoping we slow down on the whole blood thing. You know, it was what it was, and I think that we've gotten past that. I think we're going to have to slow down on that stuff, and I think we are, it's not that big of a deal. And I monitor what my kids watch, I'm not going to let them watch anything too gruesome or too stupid. So some things, I wouldn't let them watch because it's pro wrestling, and it's geared toward the 18-to-30-something-year-old guy, so I have to make sure that we'll [as parents] watch it first. We're gonna watch it because my kids love wrestling, they love it, especially my 3-year-old. I would hope that we actually gear a little bit toward those kids, because whether we like it or not, they are our fanbase. I just think that the 18-to-30-whatever-year-old has slowed down on watching it, they're probably watching more UFC and stuff like that at this point. But there are always going to be kids that watch wrestling.

Do you see TNA appealing to an older demographic at all? Beyond the blood, even as far as the Knockouts are concerned, things are done a little differently. Do you think for TNA to have long-term success, that they would need to appeal to that kid factor?
Absolutely. Why else would we make toys? And video games, and stuff like that. I think we've got to cater to the kids. You don't want it to get too silly, because we still want whatever adults to watch it, but the kids are our foundation. They're going to always watch wrestling. Like I said, we make toys for a reason, WWE makes toys for a reason. Even when they were definitely geared toward that adult rating, they were still making toys. The kids are our foundation.

What's it like to work with a legend like Ric Flair. What's the best piece of advice he's given you in the time you've worked together?
'Don't think, just do.' That's the best advice that I've gotten from him. Not that I don't learn something every time we're on together, or just watching him go out in his wheelchair. This guy can be the most entertaining guy on the show and he can do it from a wheelchair. So you can take anything and be entertaining but it's all up to you.

And Flair does so many things on the fly, a lot of it just seems right off the cuff. Is it hard to adjust to that when he just starts throwing stuff out there?
I just go with the flow. Don't think, just do, it's one of those things. Whatever Ric wants to do, he's gonna do, and I'm just gonna have to follow his lead.

With the latest heel turn, do you feel comfortable being one now or do you think it's still a process to get used to, especially when you're cutting promos?
I'm getting very used to it at this point. It's not that I haven't ever been a heel, but such a baby-face on that turn. But I'm still in the process, because I don't want to step over the line where I can never come back. It's a learning process about what I can do, what I can't do, what I think is right and what is wrong, because it's just who I am. Even though I'm a heel there's certain things I won't cross.

Were you more comfortable being a baby-face rather than a heel, or has it been just a different thing altogether?
It's just kind of a different thing altogether. Baby-face comes natural to me. I'd like to think it's because I'm a good guy, but I've known baby-faces who weren't good guys. But there's always that part of when you're a heel, there's always that part of you that wants to say something or wants to act like this at some point, but in your own conscience you just throw it back there, because you know it's not right. Well now you get to be that guy. You get to be that jerk that you've always wanted to be and say stuff off the top of your head, like Ric Flair does, it just comes off. You get the opportunity to be that guy, it's fun.

How many suits did you own before this new persona versus now that you're working with Flair?
Yeah ... I definitely have a lot more suits. At first I wasn't too gung-ho about it, but I actually do like wearing the suits. It's hard to keep them from getting wrinkled when you're on the road, but I think that would be the only problem with it right now.

You were an integral part of building the X Division which has undergone some changes over the years. What does it feel like to not be a part of that label now? Does part of you still wish you were kind of in those matches, those Ultimate X matches, and stuff like that?
Well, Ultimate X matches, maybe not. [laughs] But I do sometimes miss that X Division because those guys are so good in those matches. And I miss having those fast-paced, unbelievable matches that I used to have, because the heavyweight division isn't exactly like that. Not that I haven't had great matches in the heavyweight division, because I definitely have. The Amazing Red, there's so many things that him and I can do together, and the Motor City Machine Guns and Generation Me, those guys I haven't gotten in the ring with and had matches with them in a while. I've never wrestled Generation Me, and the Machine Guns it's been a long time since I wrestled those guys. Sometimes you miss it, and the X Division is always going to be something that I take pride in because I was their first X Division champion. So, I hope that we get a little more X guys, it seems like we're needing some at this point, but I still think a lot of the X Division for sure.

Speaking about the X Division, and I don't know if you can say anything about this, but I feel like you're the one who knows how it feels the most since you have such a lengthy history with him. What is it like to not have Christopher Daniels in TNA and to see him back in Ring of Honor?
[pause] Ooh, that's a tough one for me, man. ... It's weird. It's weird in the locker room. ... You know what, I don't think I can discuss it without sounding bad, and that's not the way I want to come off. I think Ring of Honor has made one of the greatest acquisitions in a long time, and I'm happy for them and I'm happy for Chris going back there. I'd definitely love to see him back in TNA, but that's not up to me.

So will you try to keep up with what he's doing or catch his matches in the future, whether it be on TV or DVD?
Absolutely. I'll definitely be checking him out. I mean, Chris Daniels is one of my best friends. Man, I'll support him in any way I can. I still think he's one of the best wrestlers in the world, and I'm not just saying that because he's my best friend, I truly believe that.

Generally speaking, how has it been adjusting to the roster changes that have happened, especially being such a veteran with the company? Do you have any input into the decisions that are made, especially how they may or may not affect rapport?
Well, you know, I wish that they would have said, 'AJ, who would you like to bring in?' Because I would have a list of them. And the fact that they've brought in some guys that, I don't know if they were the greatest thing we could have done for TNA, but there are some great pickups with Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam and Brian Kendrick coming over. Those are good pickups for us, there's no doubt about it. But there's definitely something missing in the X Division. I almost feel like there's not many X Division guys, and I'd like to see a little bit more of that come into play. But I'm not running the show and I'm just there to do my best and do what I can to make sure that TNA is the best product that we can put out there.

Regarding some of the great additions, you mentioned Van Dam and Hardy. Which one of those wrestlers are you more looking forward to maybe have a highlight pay-per-view match with?
I think that I could have a special match with either one of those guys. I've yet to wrestle with Rob Van Dam, so I think that him and I could get in there and do some good stuff. I'd like to have Hardy in a little bit longer of a match than we had, with no interruptions, I think we could have an unbelievable match. I think it's all in good timing, that's what it's all about.

What do you have to say to the fans who may not have seen you wrestle? Those who may have heard your name mentioned but are so used to watching a more mainstream product like WWE that they've truly never experienced and know that you're one of the greatest wrestlers in the world.
Well, I would say that they're missing out if they're not watching TNA because there's a lot of good stuff that goes on there. We have the best roster in the world. We've got guys that can really go at it in the ring, and if you're missing out on that, especially if you're someone who loves wrestling, then you need to tune in. I mean that, we have the best roster in the world, and it's just about getting it out there and having people see it. If you're not watching TNA, then you're probably just watching the other show because of habit. But if you're a person who loves wrestling, then TNA is definitely something you'd want to watch. I can't really toot my own horn though because that's up to you to decide.

I'll just throw in one more. Are you more of a fan of giving people more wrestling on these televised shows?
Absolutely. I'm a wrestler. I want to give you more wrestling. I'm not that actor, you know, some guys can do both. I would love to be better at it [laughs], but I am a wrestler. That's what I do. And I would love to put that on TNA a little bit more often. Not that it's just me, there are a lot of guys that are great wrestlers and they need to be shown off in that respect.