AJ Styles addresses Avery Styles chair controversy

Professional wrestler AJ Styles has addressed the recent controversy involving his 19-year-old son, Avery Styles, calling the online debate regarding the incident ‘the most ridiculous thing that was ever talked about on X.’

The controversy began in August when Arik Cannon criticized Avery for not assisting with setting up chairs during a GCW event. Critics argued the young wrestler should have been ‘paying his dues’ by performing ring crew duties. AJ Styles previously defended his son, stating that Avery was present to wrestle rather than to serve as part of the ring crew.

During an episode of the podcast ‘What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes,’ Rhodes discussed the situation, noting that the widespread defense of Avery by other wrestlers demonstrates the respect the young performer has already earned in locker rooms. Rhodes clarified that while second-generation wrestlers should still meet professional expectations, he believes there should be a level of grace afforded to them, citing the specialized knowledge and osmosis inherent in wrestling families.