AJ Styles & Arik Cannon’s Social Media Argument Over Claims Avery Styles Did Not Help Out at GCW Event Update – Nic Nemeth Believes Avery Should Have Addressed Controversy and Not His Dad AJ & Disagrees with Cody Rhodes’ Take on Situation

As noted before, WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles and indies wrestler Arik Cannon were involved in an online incident on social media this past Saturday over an argument revolving around Cannon’s claims that Styles’ son Avery did not help out with the ring setup at Game Changer Wrestling’s event this past July and Styles stating that his son was only paid to wrestle and not do other work. GCW recently issued an official statement stating that Cannon does not speak for the company and only himself for this situation. Besides AJ, Cody Rhodes and Lexis King also recently responded to the situation with Rhodes stating that AJ paid the dues for his son to have his own career in pro wrestling and Avery already “set up the fn’ chairs” because of the family he comes from.

A recent episode of the Busted Open Radio podcast featured TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Nemeth’s thoughts about how Avery should have been the one to address the situation at GCW’s event himself rather than have his father AJ do it because of the bad look it gives to him for having to follow his father’s wrestling career.

“I would probably stay away from going on social media. And even if it’s probably very accurate and correct and right, but also, I had to look up, is it Avery and not AJ’s kid? So you get that. You don’t want your dad fighting all your battles for you the whole time because you’re going to have a chip on your shoulder and people going, ‘Oh, you’re AJ’s kid. Let’s see you be the greatest of all time. Oh, you’re not? Well, okay, I guess you suck. Good thing you didn’t pay any dues.’

I think it’ll be something along the lines of where it’s a learning experience for everybody.”

Nemeth also gave his thoughts about the incident at GCW’s event and how it could potentially affect Avery’s reputation for his wrestling career.

“It’s genuinely up in the air because, without knowing all sides of it, it’s like, okay, I don’t know. Was he in the middle of a phone call with something and missed something, or was it misconstrued, or was it like, ‘Hey man, I don’t have to do this. I’m good?’

We are all, everyone is trained differently. AJ’s comically respected by everyone everywhere, so I’m sure the growing-up part, that part is accurate and well done and well documented probably. But when I started in developmental, we put up the rings together, and that’s different than being contracted or brought in for a show.

So you have to figure out, no matter who’s right and who’s wrong, and I feel like it’s a pretty good split here, how do you want to be seen going forward? Do you want to be known as the guy who is there to help pick things up and is there to help anybody out in a pinch? Of course you do, especially if you’re newer. But some people, that’s not for them, and in 2026 it might not be the case anymore.”

Nemeth also gave his thoughts about how he was not fond of Rhodes’ comments about the situation and how it could hurt the perception of Avery potentially not being a “team player” within the wrestling business.

“One little thing, though, is I didn’t totally love Cody said, ‘Hey man, he paid his dues because his dad was traveling the world for 20 years while he was growing up.’ And that is a huge factor when it comes to families. That is insanely huge. That is life-changing stuff when your father’s out of the house five, six days a week or weeks and months at a time.

I don’t know how that applies to wanting another 25-year-old kid to work with you and showing you that you respect the business. But that’s my take on it too

I wanted everyone to want to work with me when I was brand new. I still feel that way now, but I’m in a different stage. So when you’re newer, you go above and beyond to let everyone know that you’re a team player, you want to help. But that doesn’t make it right or wrong.”

Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com