AJ Styles has provided his first public comments regarding his potential future in the squared circle following what was billed as his retirement match at the Royal Rumble on January 31.
After an encounter with Gunther in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Styles passed out to a sleeper hold, he initially moved to leave his gloves in the ring—a traditional symbolic gesture of retirement. However, in a move that sparked immediate speculation across the industry, he ultimately put the gloves back on before exiting the arena.
Appearing on a new episode of What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon, Styles was asked directly about the decision to keep his gloves. His response suggested that the “retirement” may not be as definitive as the match stipulation implied. Styles cited the classic wrestling line of “never say never” and hinted that a return is not out of the question, especially for a family-driven reason.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Never say never, right? That’s the saying. I think everybody’s allowed at least once to come out of retirement. I’m not saying that I’ll do it anytime soon…. What if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once, you never know. So, there’ll be a time when the gloves never go back on. It may be now, but we’ll see,” Styles replied.
Styles revealed that his second-oldest son is currently training with him to become a professional wrestler, while his daughter has also become a frequent viewer of the product. The prospect of a father-son tag team match appears to be the primary reason for Styles keeping the door slightly ajar for a comeback.
For now, the prevailing belief remains that Styles’ WWE contract has officially expired or is in its final days. Reports from Mike Johnson at PWInsider have previously indicated that the February 2026 date was the benchmark for his free agency.
Should Styles become legally available to negotiate with other promotions, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select notes that both AEW and NJPW would have significant interest in signing the veteran.
