AJ Styles has addressed the growing speculation about a potential move to AEW, making it clear that the rumors surrounding his WWE Hall of Fame induction and retirement are being misunderstood.

At Royal Rumble 2026, exactly ten years after his WWE debut, Styles was defeated by Gunther in a match that officially ended his in‑ring career.

Weeks later on the 2/23 episode of RAW, WWE presented a full tribute to The Phenomenal One before announcing his induction into the 2026 Hall of Fame class. During an appearance on Talk N Shop Live!, Styles spoke openly about the chatter that WWE inducted him simply to prevent him from signing with AEW.

“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 that he felt he was getting close to staying “on the table for too long” and wanted to step away before overstaying his welcome. Retiring now, he said, allowed him to “beat the house” by choosing the right moment to end his career.

At 48, Styles closes a pro‑wrestling journey that began in 1998 and concludes in 2026, marking nearly three decades of work across multiple major promotions. Despite stepping away from the ring, he made it clear that he has no plans to leave WWE for AEW or any other company.

“I am 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.”

With that, Styles firmly shut down all AEW rumors and confirmed that his next chapter will focus on mentoring the next generation within WWE.

AJ Styles Shuts Down AEW Rumors

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