AJ Styles & Arik Cannon’s Social Media Argument Over Claims Avery Styles Did Not Help Out at GCW Event Update – AJ Styles Gives His Side of Cannon & Avery’s Chairs Controversy

As noted before, WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles and indies wrestler Arik Cannon were involved in an online incident on social media earlier this month over an argument revolving around Cannon’s claims that Styles’ son Avery did not help out with the ring setup at an event for Game Changer Wrestling this past July and Styles stating that his son was only paid to wrestle and not do other work. This dispute originated after Cannon had responded to recent comments from Nattie who had praised Avery for being someone who was “paying his dues” for his wrestling career. Over the past week, GCW, Cody Rhodes, Lexis King, Nic Nemeth, Nattie, and Matt Hardy have been among those who responded to the controversy involving Avery and him not “setting up the chairs.”

A recent episode of The AJ Styles Show podcast featured co-host Styles providing more details regarding his side of the story of the controversy involving his son at GCW’s event.

“This is going to be real quick. Again, I don’t want to harp on this. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It’s all silly. The promoter that was talking, at least he thought he was a promoter, was not the promoter of the show that my son was at. He was there to set up the ring. He got paid to do this with his crew. Ave (Avery) never heard anybody say anything about this. In fact, the guy that he was working with, Marcus Mathers, was like, ‘Yeah, no, we never heard anything. All we did was worked on our match.’ They drove from Missouri to Minnesota. They slept in their car. They didn’t get a hotel, they made the drive and made the show the next day. It was an early show. So, they wanted to get their match. Never heard anything. Both of them tell me the same story.

So, with that being said, take it for what it is, whatever you want to do with it. I’ve never helped anybody. They’ve never asked me when I was paid to do a show  for them to help them set up. And furthermore, definitely the ring crew guy hasn’t said anything to me. That’s all I’m going to say about it.

If you are on the fence on whether or not you like Avery and you see him in a show, go up and talk to him. Then decide for yourself. I have raised my kids to be polite and thankful and appreciative. I can promise you this, nobody’s been harder on their kids than me. I don’t play around. I don’t have sympathy for them, especially when it comes to wrestling. They’re not getting that from me. But I will protect their integrity.” 

Styles also gave his thoughts about his regret that the situation was blown out of proportion and how Cannon should have had a conversation with his son about it in private.

“It shouldn’t have blown up like this. Be honest with you. It should have been two guys talking to each other like adults. But after the third time on the line, I was like, ‘Wait a minute. This guy’s trying to make this kid look bad. Let me say something.’ Maybe it wasn’t the best thing. Maybe I should have shut up. Probably should have. I didn’t need to bring it up, but I couldn’t help it. I’m a dad. I’m going to defend my son when somebody else is wrong. And believe you me, I checked on this first before I said anything.” 

Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com