wrestling / News

Doc Gallows On What AJ Styles Said to Him After WWE Release, Says He Doesn’t Blame Styles For Decision to Re-Sign

August 3, 2020 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
AJ Styles The Club WWE RAW 7-1-19 The O.C. Doc Gallows Image Credit: WWE

Doc Gallows was a busy man on the interview circuit last week, and discussed his conversation with AJ Styles following his and Karl Anderson’s WWE release in a new interview with WrestleTalk In the D. Styles has been open about how he felt responsible for Gallows and Anderson re-signing with WWE last year, a decision that ultimately bit them when they were released in April. Talking with the hosts, Gallows recalled how AJ apologized to him and explained why he doesn’t blame Styles for the whole thing. Highlights and the audio are below:

On what Styles said to him after he and Anderson were released: “He said he was sorry. Which he didn’t have to say, and I wasn’t looking for an apology from him. But it’s been well documented, and AJ said it himself over on his streaming service [Mixer, not Twitch] that he felt responsible for us staying, because in September of 2019 we were looking to leave. And kept piling on more money and that wasn’t the ultimate reason we stayed. The reason we stayed was to be there and to roll with our buddy, to roll with AJ. So I think he felt partially responsible, because he felt like he talked us into signing those deals, and then we ended up getting released when the pandemic hit.”

On why he doesn’t blame Styles: “But I hold no blame to him for that. He couldn’t see the future, it was a friend doing what he thought best for his friend, and trying to convince us to stay. And we ended up staying, but nobody forced us to do anything. At the end of the day, we made that decision, right or wrong.

“So you know, there is no hard feelings there at all. AJ called me, you know, 20 minutes when it was online. And we talked, and I told him what I am telling you guys now. I don’t fault anybody for anything that ever happened in my career. You know, at the end of the day, you need to look at yourself in the mirror. And this has turned into nothing but a huge positive. I’m a positive guy. The call came, I hung up the phone, I booked Karl and I oversees, and I started planning the Talk N’ Shop A Mania PPVs. And you can’t look in the rear view mirror, you gotta keep stepping forward. And that’s what we’re doing.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WrestleTalk In the D with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.