AJ Styles Confirms He Will Retire In 2026 During WWE Crown Jewel Kickoff

During the WWE Crown Jewel Kickoff earlier this morning, AJ Styles confirmed that he will retire from wrestling in 2026.

He said: “I’m getting old, folks. Listen, if I could find the fountain of youth and take a couple sips, I’d wrestle for the rest of my life, but I am getting older. The fear of embarrassing myself is getting closer. You know what? There comes a time in a man’s life when he has to take care of business, but when business is done, it’s time to take care of his family. I need to spend time with my family. The whole idea with wrestling and having an amazing future in this business is to be able to retire one day, and in 2026, I will retire.”

"In 2026, I will retire."

AJ Styles confirms that his in ring career will end next year. 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/1YQlV2HvbV

— WWE (@WWE) October 10, 2025