Summary

Leon Slater has opened up about one of the defining moments of his early career: the night AJ Styles returned to TNA at Slammiversary 2025 and publicly celebrated the young British talent in front of the live crowd.

Slater had just beaten Moose to become the youngest TNA X-Division Champion in history when Styles made his first TNA appearance in over a decade. Rather than making the moment about his own return, Styles stepped into the ring and praised Slater directly, calling him the future of professional wrestling.

The two later spoke privately backstage, where Styles offered Slater a candid download on the business: match craft, personal conduct, and what it means to sustain a long career. Slater described the exchange as one he will carry with him.

Quote from Leon Slater

Speaking to SunSport, Slater recalled the experience in full:

"So the first major interaction I had with him was at Slammiversary where he returned to TNA. [He] came out and sung my praises in the middle of the ring, which I will never forget. That's the moment I'll always remember. He also pulled me aside for a chat after we came back from the ring. He spoke to me on everything, like match feedback, how to handle yourself in wrestling, how to handle yourself as a man, [to] be a family man, how to operate, and how it's made him successful. He just gave me pure wisdom. So, getting to share that moment with him in my home at TNA was incredible. Then getting to share another moment with him in his home for the last 10 years, in WWE, and especially on the night that it was, it's still hard for me to believe I was there."

What This Means Next for Leon Slater

Slater's Slammiversary win was already a milestone. Becoming the youngest X-Division Champion on a night when a figure like AJ Styles chose to honour him publicly added a layer of legitimacy that few young wrestlers get so early.

Styles also stepped up beyond that one night in TNA. Slater references a second shared moment in WWE, framing Styles' decade there as a home and describing his presence on that particular occasion as almost surreal. The detail suggests a relationship that has continued well past Slammiversary.

For a young talent still building his name on the international stage, having Styles publicly back him in two separate major promotions carries real weight for how creative teams and the wider industry view him going forward.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.