AJ Styles Defends Son Avery Styles After Arik Cannon’s Controversial GCW Claims

AJ Styles has publicly defended his son, Avery Styles, after veteran wrestler Arik Cannon made a controversial claim about the young wrestler’s conduct at a Game Changer Wrestling event.

Avery Styles has quickly attracted attention on the independent wrestling scene since making his debut in June 2026. The son of the WWE Hall of Famer recently competed in GCW and has already begun building his own reputation away from his father’s legacy.

Avery Styles Makes GCW Debut

Avery made his GCW debut on July 31 at The Top Play, where he defeated Alex Lev in a singles match. The following night at Rude Awakening, he faced Marcus Mathers in an intense contest that lasted more than 18 minutes.

Although Avery ultimately suffered a defeat against Mathers, his performances have continued to generate discussion among wrestling fans and industry veterans.

Arik Cannon Accuses Avery of Being Unprofessional

WWE legend Nattie recently praised Avery Styles while discussing his match against Marcus Mathers. She highlighted his passion for professional wrestling and his willingness to work his way up without demanding special treatment because he is AJ Styles’ son.

Veteran wrestler Arik Cannon responded to a social media post featuring Nattie’s comments and offered a sharply different assessment of Avery’s conduct at the event.

Cannon claimed that he saw Avery avoid helping with backstage work at GCW Rude Awakening, writing:

“As someone who watched this kid skirt away from helping with a single thing at this very show…I’d just like to say: LO F’ING L.”

AJ Styles quickly stepped in to defend his son and rejected Cannon’s criticism.

Styles argued that Avery was booked to wrestle rather than help set up or dismantle the wrestling ring, responding:

“He was paid to wrestle at GCW, not help you put up and take down the ring. That sounds like your job. You just sound like a jealous douche.”

AJ Styles Worried About Pressure on His Son

While AJ Styles has defended Avery against criticism, the WWE legend has also admitted that he is concerned about the pressure his son faces because of his famous surname.

Speaking on The AJ Styles Show, the former WWE Superstar explained that Avery may feel compelled to perform at an unnecessarily high level because fans constantly compare him with his father.

AJ also stressed the importance of Avery protecting his body and avoiding unnecessary risks early in his career. The veteran wrestler pointed out that a serious injury could keep his son out of action for months and potentially slow his development.

Can AJ Styles and Avery Styles Team Up?

AJ Styles is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation and retired from in-ring competition after losing to Gunther in January.

With Avery now beginning his own wrestling journey, fans may inevitably wonder whether The Phenomenal One could eventually return to the ring for a special match or tag-team appearance alongside his son.

For now, however, Avery appears focused on establishing his own identity on the independent scene while dealing with the enormous expectations that come with being AJ Styles’ son.