Styles keerde terug naar Wildside en begon het NWA Wildside Heavyweight Championship na te streven, op dat moment behouden door zijn trainer en mentor, "The Original Chosen One" Rick Michaels. ###>=== Return to NWA Wildside (2001–2005) ===Following his stint in World Championship Wrestling, Styles returned to Wildside and began pursuing the NWA Georgia Championship, then held by Rick Michaels.