AJ Styles on Son Avery Wrestling Too Much Like Him: 'He Will Realize He Can Be His Own Person'

AJ Styles has heard the criticism that his 19-year-old son Avery wrestles too much like him, and he addressed it directly in an interview with Cody Rhodes on "What Do You Want To Talk About?", according to www.fightful.com.
"I know that he is doing a lot of my stuff. In time, he will realize that he is able to do other stuff and be his own person," Styles said.
The exact date and location of the interview are not in the source.
Fans have already spotted Avery using his father's signature moves, including the phenomenal forearm, the slide under the guardrail, and the spiral tap. That is a heavy load of expectations for a wrestler who is still less than 20 matches into his career.
THE FANS' COMPLAINTS
Fans have already noticed just how closely Avery Styles mirrors his father in the ring. The 19-year-old has performed the phenomenal forearm, the slide under the guardrail, and the spiral tap — all moves tightly associated with AJ Styles' signature style.
That is a heavy load of expectations for a wrestler who is still less than 20 matches into his career. No specific matches or events where Avery used those moves are named in the source, but the pattern has been clear enough for fans to complain.
AJ acknowledged the criticism directly during his interview with Cody Rhodes on *What Do You Want To Talk About?*. He did not push back on the observations — instead, he treated them as a natural part of a young wrestler's development.
The complaints center on Avery's early work, where the influence of his father is most visible. For a wrestler barely into his career, the comparisons are inevitable, but the criticism has been loud enough that AJ felt the need to address it publicly.
AJ'S OWN JOURNEY
AJ acknowledged the criticism directly during his interview with Cody Rhodes on *What Do You Want To Talk About?*. He did not push back on the observations — instead, he treated them as a natural part of a young wrestler's development.
"The biggest problem that a lot of people have right now is they end up being like someone else," AJ said. He knows his son is doing a lot of his stuff, but he sees it as a phase, not a permanent identity.
AJ pointed to his own early career as proof that imitation fades. "I wanted to be like Billy Kidman. As I was progressing, it changed, and it was something totally different," he said.

His point is simple: nearly every wrestler starts by copying someone. "Everybody finds someone to look up to when they first get into the business, and then you transition into another character and do other things that are more you," he added.
For AJ, the criticism is not a warning sign but a predictable step in Avery's development. The same process that turned AJ from a Billy Kidman fan into his own man is, in his view, already at work in his son.
No additional details about AJ's early career or his Kidman influence are provided beyond these quotes, so the comparison stops where he left it. But the message is clear: Avery's current style is a starting point, not a destination.
AVERY'S CURRENT STATUS
Avery Styles is currently signed to TNA, where he has a marquee spot waiting for him. He is set to compete in the Call Your Shot gauntlet at Bound For Glory.
The date of Bound For Glory and any details about the gauntlet match are not in the source, so those specifics remain unconfirmed. What is clear is that this is a significant platform for a wrestler with fewer than 20 matches to his name.
At 19 years old, Avery is at the very beginning of his career. The criticism he is facing arrives before he has even established a full resume, which makes AJ's perspective all the more telling. This is a normal phase, not a red flag.
The situation highlights the unique weight carried by second-generation wrestlers. Avery did not choose his father's legacy, but he is already being measured against it in a way that most rookies never experience. Every phenomenal forearm he throws invites a comparison AJ never had to face from his own father.
AJ's comments suggest fans should expect Avery to eventually develop his own identity. The process is already underway, even if the visible evidence is still mostly his father's moves. For now, Avery's path runs through Bound For Glory, where the Call Your Shot gauntlet offers a chance to show what he can do beyond the shadow of the name he carries.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
The next test for Avery Styles comes at TNA’s Bound For Glory, where he is scheduled to compete in the Call Your Shot gauntlet. It is a significant opportunity for a 19-year-old with fewer than 20 matches to showcase his abilities on a larger stage.
What that gauntlet produces, however, has not been confirmed. The outcome of the match, any potential title implications, and future appearances beyond Bound For Glory are not detailed in the source.
AJ’s comments suggest fans should expect Avery to eventually develop his own style. The process is already underway, even if the visible evidence is still mostly his father’s moves.
Fans will be watching to see if Avery begins to differentiate his in-ring style in future matches. Whether that shift comes at Bound For Glory or later remains to be seen — the source only confirms the booking, not the evolution.
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