AJ Styles Confirms Continued WWE Role, Addresses AEW Speculation Following Retirement

AJ Styles has clarified his future plans following his recent retirement from in-ring competition, confirming he will continue to work with WWE and dismissing speculation about a potential move to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The announcement came during an appearance on the Talk N Shop podcast with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Continued Collaboration with WWE

Despite retiring from active wrestling after his loss to Gunther at the Royal Rumble on January 31, Styles expressed his desire to remain involved with WWE. He specifically mentioned a passion for mentoring younger talent.

“I’m still going to be working with WWE. That’s not going to change. I have these dreams of helping out young talent. If somebody is not ready once they get there, it’s my job to hopefully help them get to that point to where they can do it and they are confident when they step into a WWE ring. Being able to help with that is a blessing,” Styles stated.

Dismissing AEW Rumors

Styles directly addressed the rumors suggesting that his WWE Hall of Fame induction was a strategic move to prevent him from joining AEW. He firmly denied these claims, emphasizing his agency in making his own decisions.

“Let me give you something to talk about. So, everybody wants to say, ‘Oh! WWE put him [AJ Styles] in the Hall of Fame so that he couldn’t go to AEW.’ Guys, I am retired from wrestling in the ring. Like, that’s all this is. I make my own choices, I make my own decisions. I was ready,” Styles explained.

AEW’s Open Invitation

Prior to Styles’ confirmation, reports indicated that AEW was prepared to make a “substantial offer” to Styles, including a favorable schedule, had he chosen to wrestle outside of WWE. This information came from Justin Barrasso at Undisputed, who spoke with sources close to Styles [Source: Reddit – SquaredCircle]. Swerve Strickland likewise stated that AEW would welcome Styles if he decided to leave WWE [Source: SlamWrestling.net].

Hall of Fame Induction and Retirement

WWE honored Styles with a tribute segment on Monday’s Raw in Atlanta, culminating in The Undertaker announcing his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame [Source: CagesideSeats]. Styles retired from in-ring competition following his match against Gunther at the Royal Rumble.

Allen Neal Jones, known professionally as AJ Styles, is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his contributions to the sport [Source: Wikipedia].