AJ Styles Says He Will Retire From WWE In 2026

There aren’t many wrestlers in this world who’ve created a legacy like AJ Styles. Before joining WWE in 2016, Styles was known as a TNA legend who had made a name for himself as a workhorse there.

He has been working in this business for over 25 years now and has had his fair share of big moments, whether it was winning and becoming the first-ever Grand Slam Champion in TNA History, leading the Bullet Club in NJPW, or winning the WWE Championship from Dean Ambrose. And while fans would love for him to continue performing in the ring, Styles understands that he’s getting older and he can’t go on forever.

AJ Styles Confirms Wrestling Retirement In 2026

Speaking to Tokyo Sports recently, AJ Styles opened up about his retirement. The Phenomenal One said that while he doesn’t have an exact date yet, he will tie up his wrestling boots next year.

His reasoning is that he doesn’t want to overstay his welcome. Many wrestlers in the past continued to work even when their bodies couldn’t keep up, and as a result, they had some of the most lackluster final years in the world of wrestling. It seems like Styles just wants to retire while he can still perform at a high level.

“I will probably appear at WrestleMania 42, but it’s not confirmed yet. The details are still undecided, but I will definitely retire within the next year. I don’t want to show my fans a side of me that isn’t AJ Styles. That’s the main reason. I’ve decided to retire before my body can no longer move.”

He also shared his post-retirement plans in the same interview, and said he wants to train the younger generation of wrestlers in WWE.

“I think I’ll probably work for WWE. It might be good to train young wrestlers to be worthy of being on the main roster.”

Styles now joins the likes of John Cena and Hiroshi Tanahashi, both of whom are also on their final run. For what it’s worth, Styles’ WWE contract also expires next February, according to Fightful.

“Sources close to AJ Styles had indicated that his contract extension with WWE is up around February of 2026, which would have him expiring after the Royal Rumble and before WrestleMania season.”

In the interview, Styles said he’d probably work WrestleMania 42 (which will happen in April), so perhaps he and WWE can work out a shorter deal to give him a proper send-off.

The wrestler is currently scheduled to face John Cena at the upcoming Crown Jewel PLE on October 11. Both wrestlers have shared the ring multiple times before and hold two victories against each other in singles matches. Since Cena is retiring soon and he just lost a match against Brock Lesnar, fans are expecting The Cenation Leader to come out victorious in this one.

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