AJ Styles has announced that he plans to retire from in-ring competition within the next year. In a new interview with Tokyo Sports, the 48-year-old former world champion revealed his intentions, stating that he wants to end his career before his body can no longer perform at the elite level that fans have come to expect from him. The announcement comes after Styles recently made a cryptic social media post featuring a running hourglass, which sparked widespread speculation about his future.
Styles, who has held world championships in WWE, TNA, and NJPW, explained his reasoning for wanting to hang up his boots. “I’ll probably be at WrestleMania [42 next April], but it’s not confirmed yet. Details are undecided, but retiring within the next year is certain,” Styles said. “I don’t want to expose the ‘not-AJ-Styles version of myself’ to the fans. That’s the main reason. I decided to retire before my body stops working.”
He also noted that while nothing is set in stone, he will likely remain with WWE after his in-ring career is over, possibly in a training or coaching capacity, a role where he can pass on his immense knowledge to the next generation of superstars. Styles also revealed that WWE’s upcoming trip to Japan will likely be his final time wrestling in the country where he became an international superstar.
“I’m really excited. I think this will probably be my last match in Japan, so I’m really looking forward to it,” he told Tokyo Sports. “I plan to retire soon, and I might not come back to Japan [again] before that.” Before his return to Japan for the house shows on October 17-18, Styles is scheduled to be big match.
He will face John Cena at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event in Perth, Australia, on October 11. Before ever signing with WWE in 2016, AJ Styles had already established a Hall of Fame-worthy career. He was a cornerstone of TNA Wrestling for over a decade, where he was a multi-time world champion and one of the pioneers of the X Division. Following his departure from TNA, he had a successful run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he became a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion as the leader of the Bullet Club faction.
