WWE Contract Status, Reason For Timing Of Retirement, Future Outside Of WWE?

More clarity is beginning to emerge regarding AJ Styles’ retirement timeline, and where things currently stand with his WWE contract.

Styles officially closed the book on his in-ring career on January 31, suffering a loss to Gunther at the Royal Rumble.

While it had been widely understood that Styles planned to retire at some point in 2026, many fans were caught off guard by his final match taking place so early in the year.

Behind the scenes, Styles and WWE had reportedly been in discussions about a new contract. However, with the Royal Rumble approaching and no deal finalized, the decision was ultimately made to proceed with the Styles vs. Gunther bout as his sendoff.

Notably, the idea to wrap up his career at the Royal Rumble came from Styles himself. The event held special significance, as it was the same premium live event where he made his WWE debut back in 2016.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has publicly expressed hope that Styles will remain with the company in a behind-the-scenes capacity once his in-ring days are officially over.

At the same time, discussions between Styles and WWE regarding his future role are said to be ongoing, though there is currently no confirmation that a new contract has been signed.

If Styles does reach free agency, he would be able to explore outside opportunities. That said, there have reportedly been no indications that he’s looking to return to the ring in the immediate future.

Still, the door isn’t completely closed.

While appearing on Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast following the Royal Rumble, Styles acknowledged that a return, under the right circumstances, isn’t entirely out of the question.

“Never say never, right? That’s the saying,” Styles said. “I know there’s … I think everybody’s allowed at least once coming out of retirement.”

Styles then pointed to one specific scenario that could potentially lure him back into the squared circle.

“I’m not saying that I’ll do it anytime soon,” he continued. “I mean, what if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once. You never know. There’ll be a time when the gloves never go back on and it may be now, but we’ll see.”

We will keep you posted here at WrestlingHeadlines.com as updates regarding the WWE future of AJ Styles continue to surface.

(H/T: PWInsider Elite)