The Claire Lynch storyline remains one of the most controversial angles in TNA history, but AJ Styles says the original concept was very different from what ultimately aired on television.
Speaking on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, Styles explained that the storyline was originally designed around a member of the Carter family rather than Claire Lynch.
“There were some things that were going on, like for instance the Claire Lynch saga. I tell you, and I’ve said this story before, that if you knew what I really wanted to do, I thought it was a really good story.”
Styles then revealed the original direction involved Dixie Carter’s niece.
“She was supposed to be a niece. Because we didn’t want some shame brought on the family of the Carters. I would go as AJ Styles and check on the niece and report back to Carter so that nobody would know this was going on.”
According to Styles, the idea would have eventually created tension because of the niece’s appearance.
“So then it would be this hot, unbelievably smoking hot niece to the point we go, listen, you know what? AJ wasn’t cheating with Dixie, but he may have been cheating with her niece because she’s hot.”
Instead, the storyline ultimately became the Claire Lynch angle that aired on TNA programming.
“But then we have what we had. We had Popeye’s girlfriend. Who Popeye is, just look up an old cartoon, Olive Oyl. A question though, didn’t exactly do what we needed to do.”
Styles later revealed that he, Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian were heavily involved in developing the original concept.
“If you want to know the truth, me, Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian, we thought of the storyline.”
He explained why making the character a Carter family member was essential to the story.
“It was essential that it was a family member that was in rehab and not a friend because a friend doesn’t matter. Who cares, right?”
Styles continued:
“If the Carter family were helping out a friend, did that make them look like a million bucks? But if someone of the family was going through this, then it may not have been as great as the Carters would want to look.”
That reasoning, he said, would have justified AJ Styles’ involvement.
“There was a reason why AJ Styles was helping out and not them.”
Looking back, Styles acknowledged that the finished product may not have worked as intended, but said the goal was to tell a meaningful story beyond just wrestling matches.
“Maybe it wasn’t the greatest story, but we were trying to tell stories and that was one thing that we lacked sometimes in TNA.”
He added:
“If you don’t have a story, you don’t have a match. If you could just get a little bit of story, you could have a better match. That’s what we were trying to do.”
While the Claire Lynch storyline remains divisive among fans, Styles believes the angle ultimately helped lead to the next phase of his career.
“It didn’t go the way I wanted, but it took us to a place that helped us get where we wanted, I guess.”
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