The End of an Era Is Coming for WWE Legend AJ Styles
As with all things, wrestling careers have an end date, even if some are harder to picture than others. AJ Styles has been the guy who could take any match and make it unforgettable, the steady main-event name that companies leaned on, and the underdog who constantly proved people wrong. Now, the talk about when he’ll end his run isn’t a rumor anymore.
Styles has confirmed that his days inside the ring are numbered, and he’s not leaving the door cracked open for a late change of heart. After more than two decades of redefining what a world-class wrestler looks like, he has circled 2026 as the finish line. Fans are bracing themselves for the moment one of wrestling’s most reliable performers finally hangs up the boots.
A Career That Spanned Generations
Image via Wikimedia Commons/daysofthundr46
AJ’s story started far away from WWE’s global spotlight. While growing up in a tough environment in North Carolina, he chased wrestling while working odd jobs to make ends meet. His early career saw short stints in WCW, but it was TNA where he truly exploded.
For over a decade, Styles was the face of that promotion who carried the X-Division, won multiple world titles, and gave the company the credibility it needed. When contract talks broke down in 2013, he chose to walk away rather than take a pay cut, and that decision opened the door to his international resurgence.
By 2014, Styles was running wild in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his first match, beat names like Kazuchika Okada, and became the leader of the Bullet Club during one of its hottest runs. This chapter made him a global star, but in 2016, he shocked the wrestling world with a Royal Rumble debut that still gets replayed.
WWE originally pegged him as a midcard talent. Instead, he became WWE Champion within his first year, carried SmackDown during the brand split, and built some of the best rivalries of his era, including his unforgettable series with John Cena.
The Retirement Window
At 48, Styles is no longer hiding his timeline. He recently said in an interview that he will “definitely retire within the next year.” He’s eyeing WrestleMania 42 in Paradise, Nevada, as a likely stop, but nothing is guaranteed. What he is sure of is that fans won’t have to watch a watered-down version of him. His words made it clear: he plans to stop before his body gives out and before AJ Styles stops looking like AJ Styles.
Before then, he’s booked to face Cena one last time at Crown Jewel in Australia. It’s fitting that two rivals who pushed each other to career-defining matches nearly a decade ago are linking up again as both prepare for their exits. Styles hasn’t promised a farewell tour, but hints suggest he may treat his final year as one.
That could mean appearances in Japan, maybe even one more match in TNA, where he built his name. Fans are already speculating about potential opponents—Samoa Joe, Randy Orton, or even Chris Jericho, Styles’ first prominent WrestleMania opponent in 2016.
What Comes After
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Diego Serrano
When the in-ring career wraps up, Styles has said he’s considering a behind-the-scenes role with WWE. He’s been vocal about not sticking around in another promotion, effectively closing the door on an AEW run that some fans fantasized about. Instead, he may focus on coaching and perhaps even running his wrestling school in Georgia, which he teased earlier this year. Training younger wrestlers or producing matches seems like a natural fit.