Kevin Nash Defends Avery Styles Amid Ongoing Controversy Wrestling News Source – Latest WWE, AEW, Pro Wrestling News, AEW All In: London 2026 Results

Kevin Nash has entered the ongoing debate surrounding Avery Styles, and the WWE Hall of Famer sees little reason why AJ Styles’ 19-year-old son should be expected to help assemble a wrestling ring.

The controversy has been building for the past two weeks after Natalya praised Avery for attempting to earn his place in professional wrestling rather than receiving special treatment because of his famous father.

That conversation took a very different direction when veteran independent wrestler and F1RST Wrestling promoter Arik Cannon claimed Avery had avoided helping with work surrounding the GCW events in Minnesota. Cannon later alleged that Avery had twice been asked to assist with chairs but instead remained in the locker room.

AJ Styles quickly defended his son, arguing that Avery had been booked and paid to wrestle rather than work on ring setup and teardown. Styles also fired back personally at Cannon, calling him a “jealous douche.”

GCW subsequently distanced itself from Cannon’s comments and made it clear that his opinions were his own.

The situation has since attracted comments from Cody Rhodes, JBL and Matt Hardy, but Nash offered one of the strongest defences of Avery during Kliq This.

For Nash, the issue is not about whether a young wrestler should pay their dues. He believes allowing an inexperienced wrestler to work on such an important piece of equipment could potentially create unnecessary safety and liability concerns.

“It’s not like being a young boy at the dojo and lacing the boots of the old-time Japanese wrestlers. It’s not a tradition. This is a very intricate, if not the most intricate part of the apparatus that we do the art form that we call pro wrestling in on a weekly basis.”

Nash then questioned what would happen if Avery accidentally made a mistake during the setup process and another wrestler was injured as a result.

“And God forbid, if AJ’s kid tightened a rope too much, or didn’t tighten a rope too much, caused somebody to get injured. Somebody, because it’s AJ’s kid, put the heat on him. So doesn’t it make more sense for AJ’s kid not to be a part of that process and be a part of the process on the canvas?”

The former WWE and WCW World Champion also challenged the idea that every wrestler arriving at an independent event should automatically involve themselves in putting the ring together.

“Are you supposed to come into a territory and take someone’s job, that it is to set up the ring? Are you gonna stop doing what you’re doing and take me under your wing and let me be your ring put together apprentice, or are you just gonna do what you do?”

Nash then used his own lengthy career as an example, revealing that despite decades in the wrestling business, he was never required to assemble a ring.

“I never set up a ring in my f***ing career. I never was asked to put up the ring.”

He also pointed towards WWE’s approach, noting that ring construction and teardown has historically been handled by people assigned to those responsibilities, including referees who have regularly assisted with the process.

Nash’s comments became considerably more pointed when discussing Cannon himself. He suggested that someone who has spent years working on the independent scene should be careful about damaging potentially valuable relationships within the wrestling industry.

“There’s only so many bridges, and if you burn three of the six, and you haven’t been anywhere for 10 years.”

Nash also referenced AJ Styles’ position following his retirement from active competition. Styles was announced for the WWE Hall of Fame in February and has recently spent time working at the WWE Performance Center, including filling in for a coach.

Ultimately, Nash found himself agreeing with Natalya’s original assessment of Avery’s potential, believing what the teenager does once he steps between the ropes matters considerably more.

“Natty thinks he’s got what it takes on that canvas to do something.”

Avery remains at the very beginning of his professional wrestling journey, with fewer than ten matches to his name.

He made his debut on June 26 for Squared Circle Action in Georgia with AJ Styles in his corner. Avery then defeated Alexander Lev in his GCW debut in Omaha on July 31 before losing to Marcus Mathers the following night in Minneapolis, the event which became the centre of the current controversy.

AJ has previously spoken about the additional pressure his surname places on his son and expressed concern about Avery taking unnecessary risks so early in his career. The recently retired star has even left the door open to one more appearance if the opportunity ever arose to team alongside his sons.

With Nash now firmly siding against the idea that Avery should have been expected to work on the ring, the debate over what “paying your dues” should actually mean for the next generation of wrestlers is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

What do you think? Should young wrestlers be expected to help with ring setup and teardown, or should that responsibility be left to an experienced ring crew?