Update On AJ Styles Future With WWE Following Royal Rumble Retirement

AJ Styles ended his in-ring career last month following WWE Royal Rumble PLE, where he wrestled Gunther. Last September, Styles first announced his plans to retire in 2026.

Unlike John Cena, Styles didn’t receive a lengthy retirement tour before wrestling his final match. The Phenomenal One has said that his in-ring career is over for now, but many fans are still expecting him to come back to the ring sometime in the future.

AJ Styles & WWE In Talks Regarding His Future

A recent PWInsider report said that WWE and AJ Styles are discussing his future with the company. Both parties were in talks regarding a new deal, and Styles decided to retire at the Royal Rumble. PWInsider isn’t sure if they’ve reached an agreement as of now.

It’s likely that even if a new deal is signed, Styles will only work in a backstage capacity, as he’s just announced his retirement. Even Triple H said he wants the former WWE World Champion working for the company behind the scenes, during the Royal Rumble post-show, where he also reaffirmed that Styles is done as an in-ring performer.

AJ Styles made his WWE debut over 10 years ago during the Men’s Royal Rumble match in 2016. In his decade-long stint with the company, Styles won the WWE Championship twice, along with numerous other belts such as the WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE United States Championship (3 times), as well as the WWE Tag Team Titles (2 times).

AJ Styles Says ‘Never Say Never’ To A Potential Wrestling Comeback

Shortly after the Royal Rumble, AJ Styles was a guest on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast, where he talked about the possibility of wrestling in the future. Styles stuck to the old mantra of “never say never” in wrestling, saying that he is allowed one chance to come out of retirement. But fans shouldn’t hold their breath since Styles said he isn’t going to wrestle anytime soon.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. Never say never, right? That’s the saying. I think everybody is allowed at least once to come out of retirement. I’m not saying I’ll do it anytime soon. I’m just saying that, what if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once? You never know. There will be a time when the gloves never go back on, and it may be now. We’ll see.” (H/T Fightful)

His final match against Gunther received some criticism from fans as well, who believed the wrestler didn’t get the ending he deserved. Gunther has retired many legends in the past few months, from Goldberg to John Cena to now AJ Styles.