AJ Styles on WWE retirement: ‘It’s going to suck when it’s over’
AJ Styles knows he’s going to miss competing in the ring, but being able to retire on his own terms has always been his ultimate goal.
The 48-year-old WWE star has announced that he will retire at some point in 2026. There is no official date set yet, but a retirement tour of sorts has already begun. Styles recently bid farewell to Australia and Japan at house shows after wrestling in those countries for what will likely be the final time.
“I’ve had a tremendous time in professional wrestling,” Styles told Undisputed. “Not many people can say they love their job. I do. It’s going to suck when it’s over. But that’s always been my ultimate goal — to retire on my own terms.”
In the interview with Undisputed, Styles reflected on how important the time he spent in Japan was to his career. Styles starred for NJPW between his TNA and WWE runs — and he does not believe he would have made it to WWE without that experience.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I may not have made it to WWE without Japan,” Styles said. “My tenure in Japan helped me figure out who I was and what I wanted to do.
“When I went to WWE, Vince wanted me to be who I was in Japan. That style from Japan did not change when I went to WWE. That’s the guy Vince wanted, so I didn’t have to change anything. Maybe that’s why it got over so well.”
While Styles doesn’t have anything lined up for his post-wrestling life at the moment, he’s said that he believes he’ll continue working for WWE in a behind-the-scenes role like coaching.
Styles & Dragon Lee are the World Tag Team Champions on WWE Raw after defeating Finn Balor & JD McDonagh for the belts last week. A rematch between the teams will take place next Monday.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.