Report: AJ Styles ‘put feelers out’ to convention circuit before current WWE deal

Before AJ Styles signed a one-year contract extension with WWE earlier this year, he reportedly “put feelers out about potential options outside of the company.”

Styles, 48, is believed to be under contract with WWE until approximately February 2026 after signing his current deal. But questions about his future have arose recently after Styles made a cryptic hourglass post on Instagram last week.

The Instagram post caused fans to question whether Styles was teasing retirement or something about his contract. And that speculation only grew after one of Styles’ sons agreed with a comment that said Paul “Triple H” Levesque is “disrespecting” Styles with the way he is treated in WWE.

Jon Alba of The Takedown on SI reports that there was mutual interest in Styles exploring the convention circuit outside of WWE before the extension he signed earlier this year, though it is not known if there were any ever feelers put out about Styles wrestling for other promotions.

“Multiple sources indicated to The Takedown on SI that prior to re-signing with WWE on his most recent extension, Styles did indeed put feelers out about potential options outside of the company,” Alba wrote. “Specifically, it was noted he was generating major interest on the convention circuit from promoters, and it was mentioned that the interest was mutual, and at least exploratory.”

Styles will be in action on Raw tonight against El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser). It’s a match that was set up last week when Americano cost Styles a chance to win the Intercontinental Championship from Dominik Mysterio.