Nattie Pitches AJ Styles-Avery Jones Tag Reunion

Natalya is floating an idea that could bring AJ Styles back into a wrestling ring — even briefly — to team with his son.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Natalya recalled attending a GCW show during SummerSlam weekend, where she watched Avery Jones, AJ Styles’ son, wrestle Marcus Mathers, one of her students from the Hart Dungeon who is also part of WWE’s ID program. She came away impressed enough to suggest a father-son tag match involving AJ and Avery, something she called a “lofty, crazy” idea but one she said she could picture happening if Styles ever came out of retirement.

Natalya said Avery displayed a natural presence in the ring, describing a calm, confident quality that echoed his father without simply copying him. She noted he carried some of AJ’s mannerisms while still forging his own identity as a performer.

Beyond the in-ring work, Natalya said she made a point of telling AJ Styles directly how much she respected the path Avery is taking. The two connected at the WWE Performance Center while she was filming NXT, and she praised Avery for grinding on the independent scene rather than leaning on his father’s name. She singled out his loss to Mathers as a positive, saying it showed nobody was protecting him or booking him strong simply because of his lineage.

Natalya also highlighted Avery’s demeanor backstage, saying he was humble and eager to learn, actively seeking feedback rather than assuming he already had it figured out. She said that kind of etiquette matters more to her than raw talent, adding that no major promotion — she named WWE, TNA, Ring of Honor, New Japan and All Japan — wants to deal with a difficult personality no matter how gifted someone is in the ring.

AJ Styles has previously said he doesn’t believe Avery is ready for a WWE tryout yet, and Natalya’s comments read less like a call for an imminent debut and more like praise for a young performer doing things the right way. Still, the idea of a Styles family tag match is the kind of moment that tends to stick in fans’ minds once it’s been said out loud, especially given how beloved AJ became during his run as a top singles star and tag team performer across WWE, TNA, Ring of Honor and New Japan.

For now, Avery Jones remains focused on building his own résumé on the independent scene, with GCW proving to be one of the platforms giving him meaningful reps against experienced opponents. Whether or not a Styles family reunion match ever materializes, Natalya’s comments suggest that people inside the industry are already taking notice of how Avery is going about his early career — and that his father’s legacy is being treated as something to live up to, not lean on.

What happens next for Avery likely depends on how his development continues on the indies, but if his work keeps drawing this kind of attention from veterans like Natalya, it won’t be the last time his name comes up alongside his father’s.