AJ Styles Thinks WWE Will Change Things In Second Half Of Year, Weighs In On Criticism

AJ Styles believes that WWE will change things up in the back half of 2026 amid criticism of the company. WWE has been subject to criticism in several aspects for the first half of the year, from high ticket prices to issues with storylines, to a number of lawsuits pending against the company.

Styles weighed in on the matter during the latest episode of Phenomenally Retro. The WWE Hall of Famer noted that that TKO does deserve some criticism and that’s their job to do when things are happening that fans don’t like, though he also pointed out that when they do things right, they deserve the praise. He also noted that things “will get better” as WWE pivots for business reasons. You can see highlights below:

On Criticism Toward TKO & WWE:

“You gotta understand, that is their job to take the blame for everything that is going on, and that’s their responsibility. Like, ‘Well, listen. We are the head of this thing and so we take all the blame.’ That’s our job and we have to live with it.

“But we also — if they do something right, we need to give them praise. Like with AAA, they did something right. We can praise him for that. With other things, maybe they’ve done wrong. ‘Ah, freak it. That kind of sucked.’ We’re entitled to opinions and stuff like that. But at the same time, you can’t be boo boo face about everything that’s going on. Because there is some good things that are going on with TKO. It’s not going to be perfect all the time. Nobody is.”

On Criticism For TKO Beyond WWE’s In-Ring Product:

“But since it’s such a big company, and it’s not just the wrestling part, right? There’s other things that are going on that they’re in the media for that I don’t really know much about. So I just don’t say anything about it, because I don’t know. But there are other things.”

On WWE Likely Changing Things Coming Into the Back Half of 2026:

“And it will. Listen, it’s going to get better. There’s going to — everybody learns from their mistakes, whatever that may be. I get it. Things aren’t exactly the way you want them to be. But those things change, especially when competition’s out there. You’re going to have to adjust. You’re going to have to get better. You’re going to have to find a way and new talent.

“All these things are going to have to happen if you want to stay at the top. If you want to continue to charge these prices, you’re going to have to make it work for people to come to the show. You’re going to have to make it worth their while. They’re going to have to change things. That’s the way business works. We have to compete.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Phenomenally Retro with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.