As reported by PWMania.com, former WWE Champion AJ Styles has officially retired from in-ring competition. He left his gloves in the ring this past Monday night on RAW in his home state of Georgia.
During the main event segment, WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker, who faced Styles at WrestleMania 36, announced Styles as the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame for the Class of 2026.
According to PWInsider.com, WWE and Styles have reached an agreement on a new contract. The report also indicates that signing this new deal likely diminishes any chance of him coming out of retirement to wrestle elsewhere, as did Sting, who retired upon his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 but later returned to wrestling with AEW after his WWE contract expired.
While the specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, it is expected that this agreement will keep Styles associated with WWE as he transitions into his post-ring career, much as fellow Hall of Famer The Undertaker did when he signed a new WWE Legends deal in 2024.
Justin Barasso from Undisputed reported that Styles was “well aware” that AEW intended to make him a “substantial offer” once his previous WWE contract ended, but the Hall of Fame induction likely affected that opportunity. With his new WWE contract, wrestling fans are unlikely to see Styles in AEW anytime soon, and he seems committed to his in-ring retirement, at least for now.
Styles himself addressed the AEW rumors during a recent appearance on Talk ‘N Shop, stating, “Let me give you something to talk about. Everybody wants to say, ‘Oh, WWE put him in the Hall of Fame so he couldn’t go to AEW.’ Guys, I’m retired from wrestling in the ring. That’s all this is. I make my own choices. I make my own decisions.”
Styles will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame later this April. The Class of 2026 induction ceremony is scheduled to take place during WrestleMania 42 Week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
