Retirement has become a major talking point in professional wrestling these last few years. Several of the top stars from past generations are walking away from active in-ring competition. Sting, Goldberg, and Meiko Satomura are some names who’ve recently ended their careers, with John Cena and Hiroshi Tanahashi also set to retire soon. Well, add another name to the list as AJ Styles has confirmed his retirement timeline.
“I will definitely retire within the next year,” Styles told Tokyo Sports during a video interview on September 26. “I don’t want the fans to see me as anyone other than AJ Styles. That’s the main reason. I’ve decided to retire before my body can no longer move.”
At 48 years old and 26 years of experience under his belt, making that call is perfectly sensible. Styles has achieved so much in the industry that he’s considered a legend. Styles is a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, three-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Ring of Honor Pure Champion, two-time TNA World Champion, and a two-time Undisputed WWE Champion. And that’s just scratching the surface of his remarkable career. Styles has done it all and is one of the best performing today, and of all time.
One of the intriguing questions around Styles’s retirement is what company he will retire with and what will he do once his boots are put away for good. There’s hope that he’ll leave WWE and perhaps have a brief run in All Elite Wrestling. Imagine Styles putting on some dream matches against the likes of Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher, MJF, and others. But it seems like Styles is set to remain a part of the WWE in some form.
“I haven’t decided yet, but I think I’ll probably work for WWE,” Styles said during the interview. “It might be good to train young wrestlers to be worthy of being on the main roster.”
Young performers should rush to learn from Styles, as he’s found a way to reach the highest heights in wrestling, even when the odds were against him. Styles was someone who didn’t fit the initial mold of what was considered a WWE superstar. This led to him building his career in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling and the rest is basically history. Before AEW came around, Styles was perhaps the biggest wrestling star who didn’t create their career in WWE. When he arrived during the Royal Rumble in 2016, Styles was already a star. His run in WWE solidified his position as one of the best in the game and a future Hall of Famer.
Fans should celebrate AJ Styles every time he steps into the ring. His career is coming to a close and he deserves every bit of praise coming his way until he walks through the curtain for the last time.