AJ Styles visits Florida wrestling school, Nattie’s Dungeon
AJ Styles spent some time this week passing on his knowledge to the next generation.
The 48-year-old Styles visited Fight the World Wrestling Academy, which is located in Florida and run by NWA wrestlers Bryan Idol, Natalia Markova, and Mike Mondo. He later stopped by Natalya & TJ Wilson’s Dungeon on Wednesday to help out during a training session.
“Most people never even get CLOSE to a ring…our students are learning directly from people who’ve main-evented WrestleMania, traveled the world, and actually lived this business,” FTW Academy posted. “Thank you to The Phenomenal One AJ Styles for a great class! See you again soon.”
Wednesday was Natalya’s 44th birthday, and she said Styles’ visit was the best gift she could have gotten. She and her husband Wilson (Tyson Kidd) hold weekly, invite-only training sessions in their ring at no cost to those who attend.
“I had the most PHENOMENAL birthday today sweating with my Dungeon family alongside [AJ Styles],” Natalya posted. “AJ gave us all the answers to the test… and then some. He got in there, wrestled, pushed us, and shared his knowledge with everyone in the room.
“He’s truly one of the greatest wrestlers of our generation, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift. Learning. Growing. Being challenged. Feeling inspired all over again to keep chasing my wildest dreams and to never stop striving for greatness.”
Sessions at The Dungeon are attended by up-and-coming wrestlers as well as TV names who are looking to work on things. WWE’s Ilja Dragunov, who is there regularly, was among those in attendance this week.
AJ Styles’ post-retirement WWE role —
Styles had his final match this January, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April, and now works for the company in a behind-the-scenes capacity. His exact role isn’t fully set in stone, but Styles has enjoyed working in recruitment and helping out with the WWE ID development program. Because he has so much experience on the indies, that has been a natural fit for Styles.
Wednesday also saw John Cena, a WWE ambassador in his post-retirement life, spend some time with wrestlers at the WWE Performance Center.
I had the most PHENOMENAL birthday today sweating with my Dungeon family alongside @AJStylesOrg. AJ gave us all the answers to the test… and then some. He didn’t just talk, he got in there, wrestled, pushed us, and shared his knowledge with everyone in the room.
— Nattie (@NatbyNature) May 28, 2026
He’s truly one… pic.twitter.com/Czpg9QNvvm
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.