AJ Styles WWE Retirement Update

WWE

WWE star AJ Styles has publicly commented on his retirement from in-ring competition during today’s WWE Crown Jewel 2025 Kickoff event in Perth.

During an interview with Tokyo Sports last month AJ Styles confirmed that he will be hanging up his boots for good in 2026.

While he had discussed it in interviews, Styles had yet to openly speak about the end of his career on WWE programming, but was asked directly about his comments to Tokyo Sports by Michael Cole during today’s WWE Crown Jewel 2025 Kickoff event in Perth, Australia.

Confirming to Cole that he will indeed be retiring in 2026, Styles said:

“I’m getting old folks. Listen if I could find the fountain of youth and take a couple of sips I’d wrestle for the rest of my life. But you know, I am getting older, the fear of embarrassing myself is getting closer.

“And you know what? There comes a time In a man’s life when he has to take care of business but when business is done it’s time to take care of his family. I need to spend time with my family.

“The whole idea with wrestling and having an amazing future in this business is to be able to retire one day and in 2026 I will retire.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Styles’ contract with WWE is reportedly set to expire in February 2026, however, “The Phenomenal One” has stated that he will potentially appear at next year’s WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas next April.

Styles will compete against John Cena for the last time at tomorrow’s WWE Crown Jewel PLE, a match he recently said didn’t think he was important enough for.

WWE's AJ Styles confirms he will retire from in-ring competition in 2026:

"In 2026 I will retire"pic.twitter.com/NN6ramLFAk

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) October 10, 2025

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• AJ Styles
• retirement
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