AJ Styles Responds To Accusation He Was ‘Bribed’ By WWE To Keep Him Out Of AEW

AJ Styles had a simple response to a fan who accused him of being “bribed” with his new WWE position to keep him out of AEW’s hands. As you know, Styles ended his in-ring career after he lost to Gunther at the WWE Royal Rumble. Following his retirement, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at WrestleMania 42 and has taken a job as a talent scout and coach in WWE.

There were some fans hoping that Styles’ retirement would only apply to WWE and that he would go to AEW. Obviously, that didn’t happen. A fan accused Styles of accepting “bribery” in the Hall of Fame induction and “lifetime gig” so he wouldn’t sign with AEW.

Styles retweeted the post and wrote in response:

“If bribing me leads to getting the job that I want, that’s great.”

AJ Styles has been working with talent at the WWE Performance Center and learning the ins and outs of his new role since he retired.

If bribing me leads to getting the job that I want, that's great. https://t.co/JSOfTjjJKL

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) May 1, 2026