As seen on the February 23, 2026 edition of WWE Raw, The Undertaker officially announced that AJ Styles will be inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.
According to a report from Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Styles’ induction may have wider implications beyond WWE. Writing on Substack, Barrasso suggested that WWE’s decision to move quickly with the Hall of Fame announcement significantly reduced the possibility of Tony Khan bringing Styles in for a surprise appearance at AEW’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view in March.
Barrasso noted:
“For as much as WWE claims to be blissfully unaware of what is happening in AEW, that isn’t the case. With Styles getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, it severely limits any potential AEW owner Tony Khan had of bringing Styles in for a surprise appearance at the Revolution pay-per-view in March. For AEW, their post-WrestleMania show is Double or Nothing in May–and even that feels too soon for Styles to appear.”
While there is no indication that Styles was planning an in-ring return elsewhere, the report states that AEW was prepared to present a substantial offer — one that reportedly would not have required a demanding schedule or extensive time away from home.
However, those close to Styles emphasized that his retirement decision was genuine. Following his career-ending loss at the Royal Rumble and emotional farewell in Atlanta, Styles made it clear that spending time with his family was the top priority.
With his Hall of Fame induction now official and WrestleMania 42 weekend approaching, any speculation about a cross-promotional surprise appearance appears increasingly unlikely. For now, the “Phenomenal One” seems firmly focused on life beyond the ring — even if other companies were willing to open the checkbook.
