AJ Styles confirms WWE retirement decision
AJ Styles is reiterating his plans to retire from the ring sooner rather than later.
In an interview with Tokyo Sports last month, Styles said it’s “certain” that he will retire from the ring at some point within the next year. He was asked about those comments today at WWE’s pre-Crown Jewel kickoff event in Perth, Australia. Styles confirmed that he will retire in 2026.
“I’m getting old, folks. Listen, if I could find the Fountain of Youth and take a couple of sips, I would wrestle for the rest of my life. But, you know, I am getting older. The fear of embarrassing myself is getting closer. And you know what? There comes a time in a man’s life when he has to take care of business. But when business is done, it’s time to take care of his family. I need to spend time with my family. The whole idea with wrestling and having an amazing future in this business is to be able to retire one day. And in 2026, I will retire.”
Styles said in the Tokyo Sports interview that nothing is firmly in place yet when it comes to his post-wrestling plans, but he will likely remain with WWE in a role like training wrestlers.
The comments come as Styles prepares to renew his rivalry with John Cena at Crown Jewel: Perth this Saturday. With Cena on his own retirement tour, it will be the last time they ever face each other. Cena only has four WWE dates left after Crown Jewel.
A timeline for when Styles will have his last match in 2026 has not been determined.
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.