AJ Styles’ legendary WWE career officially concluded at the Royal Rumble, where the 48-year-old veteran fell to Gunther in a high-stakes match with his career on the line. While WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has publicly stated that Styles is done in the ring, the “Phenomenal One” sent a conflicting message to the fans. After the match, Styles teased leaving his gloves in the center of the ring—a traditional sign of retirement—but ultimately put them back on, signaling that he might not be completely finished with the squared circle just yet.
Fightful Select reports that AJ Styles’ retirement was a major point of conversation backstage at the January 28 episode of AEW Dynamite. Talent and staff were buzzing with speculation about what the two-time WWE Champion would do next. According to the report, it is universally expected within AEW that the promotion will attempt to bring Styles in if they are able to. Styles remains close to several wrestlers in AEW, many of whom he shares a deep history with from his time on the independent circuit and in Japan.
Beyond North America, the expectation is that Styles would also garner significant interest from NJPW. The promotion is reportedly in the process of losing several key wrestlers and could be looking for a major star to fill the void. Styles has a rich history with NJPW, where he revitalized his career during a dominant two-year run.
During his tenure in Japan, Styles captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship twice and served as the leader of the Bullet Club, a faction that fundamentally changed the landscape of modern wrestling. A return to NJPW would bring his career full circle, allowing him to revisit the stage where he cemented his legacy as one of the best bouts-per-year performers in the industry.
There is also the lingering question of TNA Wrestling, the promotion where Styles first became a household name. Styles has often discussed his desire to have one more match in TNA before hanging up his boots for good. He recently made a couple of appearances for the company as part of the TNA-WWE NXT working relationship, sparking hope among fans that a retirement match was imminent.
However, Fightful noted an interesting detail regarding his TNA status. It was reported that Styles would have been able to work a match for TNA while still under WWE contract if he had wanted to do it badly enough.
Despite the rumors swirling around AEW, NJPW, and TNA, Styles’ immediate future remains a mystery. A source close to AJ Styles noted that they knew his in-ring career with WWE was coming to an end at the Royal Rumble, but they are currently unsure about what he plans to do next.
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