During a WWE live event in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday, AJ Styles broke from the script to deliver a heartfelt message to the audience, strongly indicating that it would be the last time they would see him compete in person.
“I don’t have a lot of time and I’m not supposed to be on this microphone right now,” Styles told the Melbourne crowd. “But I just wanted to thank you guys for being some of the best fans in the world. Here’s the truth, I’m probably not gonna be seen like this in a singlet here anymore, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much.”
Styles, who is 47 years old, recently confirmed in an interview with Tokyo Sports and on the Crown Jewel kickoff show that 2026 will be his final year as an in-ring competitor. He has cited his age, the desire to spend more time with his family, and the grueling nature of the WWE schedule as the primary reasons for his decision. He has been adamant that he wants to retire on his own terms, before he is no longer able to perform at the elite, “phenomenal” level that has defined his career for over two decades.
As his retirement draws closer, every match for AJ Styles now carries an extra layer of significance. He is coming off a loss to John Cena at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event on October 11 in Perth, Australia.
AJ grabs the mic in Melbourne 🥲 #WWESuperShow pic.twitter.com/YzGxqqebE8
— 𝗥𝗘𝗕𝗭 (@onlyrebz) October 15, 2025
