AJ Styles has confirmed that 2026 will be his last year of active wrestling. Styles was an independent wrestler who became the face of the TNA brand before having a robust career with WWE, where he became a multiple-time world champion.
Styles’ finding success in WWE was never a sure bet. He joined the company when Vince McMahon was at the creative helm and was undersized compared to his peers at the top of the card. Still, Styles found success and credits a key career move as the reason why.
Key Career Move Set Styles Up For Success
In an interview with Justin Barrasso for Undisputed, Styles credited a specific time period in his career for setting him up to win in WWE. Styles stated that his time working in Japan for NJPW is what set him up to have the most success possible in WWE.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I may not have made it to WWE without Japan. My tenure in Japan helped me figure out who I was and what I wanted to do. When I went to WWE, Vince wanted me to be who I was in Japan. That style from Japan did not change when I went to WWE. That’s the guy Vince wanted. Maybe that’s why it got over so well.”
Styles joined NJPW in 2014 and became the IWGP Heavyweight Champion soon after his debut. He would go on to join the Bullet Club to become the faction’s second leader. Styles’ run in New Japan included matches against Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi, and a classic Wrestle Kingdom match against Shinsuke Nakamura.
Styles left New Japan in 2016 and debuted for WWE at the Royal Rumble that same year. Styles wrestled Chris Jericho at his first WrestleMania and became world champion that September by defeating Dean Ambrose.
Currently, AJ Styles holds gold on the WWE Raw brand. Styles and Dragon Lee are the reigning WWE World Tag Team Champions, having defeated The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh) on the October 20 episode of Raw.
