AJ Styles Addresses AEW Speculation, ‘I’m Retired From Wrestling In The Ring’

On Monday’s Raw, WWE announced that AJ Styles would be inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame. Styles retired after losing to Gunther at WWE Royal Rumble in a match where he career was on the line.

On Raw, Styles left his jacket and gloves in the ring.

On Talk N Shop, Styles addressed speculation that he wasn’t actually retired and would show up in AEW.

“Everybody wants to say, ‘Oh, WWE put him in the Hall of Fame so that he couldn’t go to AEW.’ Guys, I’m retired from wrestling in the ring. That’s all this is. I make my own choices. I make my own decisions. I was ready,” he said.

Elsewhere during the podcast, AJ Styles confirmed that he’ll still be working with WWE. You can find his full comments here.

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