AJ Styles still not closing door on possibility of one more match
AJ Styles is still not completely closing the door on the possibility that he’ll eventually return for one more match.
This January, Styles ended his in-ring career somewhat abruptly with a loss to Gunther at WWE Royal Rumble 2026. It was known that this would be Styles’ final year as an active wrestler, but it was surprising to see him retire so early into 2026. Styles was done with the physical side of wrestling and wanted to stop before he could no longer give fans the version of him they’ve come to expect.
However, Styles did say he reserves the right to potentially return for one more match in the future. He reiterated that on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, mentioning how enticing it would be to wrestle alongside his children.
“I have said this before — and I’ll say it again — usually we’re granted one comeback for one match. I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m just saying, usually it’s granted. Never say never. “Listen, the opportunity to wrestle with my son or sons, that’d be pretty cool.”
Avery Jones, one of Styles’ sons, recently began his own wrestling career. On Insight, Styles said his oldest son also seems to be catching the wrestling bug after seeing his brother debut. Styles thinks those two sons could end up becoming a tag team.
AJ Styles’ post-retirement WWE role —
Following his retirement, Styles was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and signed a new contract with WWE for a behind-the-scenes role. That’s included him helping out with scouting and the WWE ID program. Styles has also launched a podcast called “Phenomenally Retro” that is not under the WWE umbrella.
Styles, 49, told Insight that it’s very important for him to stay busy after retirement.
“It’s kind of just part of the lifestyle. I mean, it’s a good thing to be busy. I think when you retire, you die early. A lot of people, I’ve seen that. Something happens. You stop moving,” he said. “So getting in there with my son and wrestling around and doing things like that at the Performance Center is a big deal to me.
“And to be able to show them, not only just tell them, but be able to show them like, ‘This is the way I want it done.’ Some of those I will regret the next day, but to be able to do that while I still can is important to me.”
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.