Is this really the end of The Phenomenal One?
On January 31 at the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, AJ Styles fell to GUNTHER in a match that was set to end the former WWE Champion’s in ring career. Despite the stipulation, however, speculation is growing that we may not have seen the last of Styles inside the squared circle.
According to Fightful Select, Styles was a major talking point at last Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite taping, with the expectation that the company would look to bring him in if he becomes available, while New Japan Pro Wrestling is also said to be interested in welcoming him back.
“The topic was a major point of conversation backstage in AEW at Dynamite on January 28, with people on the team speculating what he was doing. As of February 3, we have not been told that an offer it made, but it was universally expected among AEW sources that if AEW is able to, they would bring in Styles. Styles is still close with a number of people in All Elite Wrestling. It is expected that New Japan Pro Wrestling would want to use him as well, in the middle of them losing a ton of talent.”
-Fightful Select
While Styles has no history with All Elite Wrestling, having spent the promotion’s entire existence with WWE, he did enjoy a memorable spell in New Japan Pro Wrestling between 2014 and 2016, during which he led Bullet Club to new heights as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Since Styles told Tokyo Sports last year that he intended to retire in 2026, several outlets have pointed to a Fightful Select report from months ago claiming his WWE contract was due to expire in February. Fightful has since noted, however, that there has been no further update on his status, with one TNA source believing that he had or would have extended with WWE before the Royal Rumble.
The report also notes that regarding the possibility of a Styles departure opening the door for him to work with TNA, WWE sources said he could have done so while still with the company if he had wanted to badly enough.
One WWE source made it clear that whatever the future holds for Styles, he was able to end his WWE career on his own terms. Another added that the company would happily extend him, although he has made it clear for several years that he has been eyeing retirement.
While one source close to Styles said they knew his in ring career was ending this past Saturday, they were also unsure what his future holds. Whatever his plans may be, the same source told Fightful Select that, regardless of money, Styles is in a position to do as he pleases.
Styles’s music hit during the February 2 edition of Monday Night RAW following the Royal Rumble, but it was GUNTHER who emerged as he boasted to the Philadelphia crowd about ending yet another career.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on AJ Styles’ future following his WWE retirement as soon as we hear more.
