WWE Superstar AJ Styles has revealed that his iconic long hair won’t be sticking around once he hangs up his boots. Speaking with Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes, Styles confirmed that a major change to his look will come the moment he retires — and it starts with the hair.
Styles, who has kept his trademark long hairstyle for nearly his entire WWE run since debuting in January 2016, made it clear that the look will not follow him into retirement. “When retirement does finally come, that will be the first thing that goes is probably the hair,” Styles stated.
The Phenomenal One added that he doesn’t plan on returning to a shorter cut — he’s thinking much more drastic. “I’m thinking about it. I’m thinking about a full shave. Just go, completely gone, all of it,” Styles said.
While the full shave is reserved for retirement, Styles admitted he may be forced into a trim sooner than expected — courtesy of his wife, Wendy Jones. “According to my wife, it’s gonna be cut soon, like it’s getting way too long, and she doesn’t like it,” Styles explained. “So she’s like, repeatedly telling me, I’m gonna have to cut a couple inches off. Not cut it all off now.”
Styles also looked back at the different “eras” of his appearance throughout his career, breaking them down by hairstyle — many of which have become memes and fan nicknames online.
He recalled his early 2000s look in TNA and the independents: “Emo AJ Styles.”
That era featured the shorter, swooped bangs commonly associated with the early emo subculture. He then reflected on his early WWE presentation, acknowledging the fan-created nickname: “Soccer Mom AJ Styles.”
When he arrived in WWE, his medium-length layered hair quickly sparked comparisons to a suburban mom’s haircut — a meme that became a staple of online wrestling culture. Today, Styles refers to his current look as: “His hair is too long AJ Styles.”
Despite considering a completely shaved head for retirement, Styles also expressed some hesitation — not about the shave itself, but about the awkward regrowth stage afterward. “The thing is, if I want to grow out my hair after doing that, it’s going to look really silly,” Styles remarked. “There’s always that point.”
McIntosh jokingly suggested: “Skin head AJ Styles.” Styles quickly clarified: “Just a shaved head, not a skin head. We’ll see.”
Whether or not a trim happens soon, it’s clear that once Styles retires, fans should expect a dramatically different look for The Phenomenal One.
