Karl Anderson Reveals What AJ Styles Told Him About Retirement Backstage at RAW

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows appeared on this week’s WWE Raw to pay tribute to AJ Styles, and Anderson detailed the experience on their latest podcast. As noted, this week’s Raw featured a tribute to the retired WWE star, which included the announcement that he was going into the WWE Hall of Fame. Gallows & Anderson appeared on the show as part of the tribute.

Anderson spoke about Styles’ retirement from the ring, something he previously questioned, and their Raw appearance on Talk’n Shop. He acknowledged that he had previously said he didn’t believe Styles would retire yet and talked about when the pair were invited to the show. He also spoke about what Styles told him afterward, noting that the incoming Hall of Famer said that his neck was “hurting too bad.” You cam see the highlights below (per Fightful):

On Styles’ Retirement:

“AJ Styles has officially retired from the WWE. WWE did a full-blown tribute show for AJ Styles. I got questions for the last couple of weeks. I’ve gotten questions since the Royal Rumble. People have asked constantly, ‘What is AJ gonna do? Where is AJ gonna go?’ And I have some opinions. I had some opinions. I had some takes. I have some takes. If you remember, I said this is exactly what I said I thought was gonna happen. I said, ‘AJ Styles is gonna leave the WWE, and go to AEW, or TNA, or go work.’ I did not think that he was going to finish up in the WWE. I did not think so, and like I said, we don’t speak much. Love you dude. I love you dude. He helped me a lot in my life. I look up to AJ Styles, I look up to Allen Jones. I look up to him. He’s a great human, he’s a great wrestler. He taught me a lot about business, he taught me a lot about pro wrestling…

“That was just my opinion. I did not expect AJ Styles to wind down and we haven’t spoke, right? So I see GUNTHER finishes off AJ Styles in Saudi Arabia at the Royal Rumble. I thought, wow. I mean, with clean win. A clean win. Alright, well then, maybe he’s not a WWE guy, even though he is now but I’m talking about my opinion before that. Maybe they don’t look at him as a WWE guy… Clearly, I was wrong.”

On When He and Gallows Were Set For Their Raw Appearance:

“All of a sudden, a number text messages me and (Doc) Gallows’ phone, Monday night or Tuesday afternoon or whatever it was and it was like, ‘Hey, hey, we’re gonna do an AJ Styles tribute show. The Good Brothers are wanted Monday in Atlanta for the AJ Styles tribute show’ and we said, ‘Hold on a second. We aren’t ready for all that.’ They said, ‘Think about it.’ Wednesday, we got another text message that said, ‘Have you thought about it yet?’ We said, ‘We gotta think about it a little more.’ Thursday comes around, they got a text they sent out, another text message and said, ‘Have you thought about it?’ I gave ‘em a call, and I told ‘em a couple of things that I was just thinking about. They were amazing. They told me, ‘Hey, hey, think about it.’ Friday comes, they asked if we had thought about it. We said, ‘We just need to keep continuing thinking about it.’ Saturday comes around, our point of contact says, ‘Hey guys, have you thought about it?’ Big L.G. picks up the phone, gives our contact a call and the deal was struck.”

On Being Hesitant To Appear:

“Were (Doc) Gallows and I a little trepidacious about walking back in the arena? Ahh-hah. Were we dying to walk back in the arena? Ahn-ahn. Did we walk back in that arena for AJ Styles? Yes.”

On the Appearance Being the First Time They’d Seen Styles Since Their WWE Exit:

“So I had not seen AJ Styles yet. I walked by his room and I didn’t wanna walk into his locker room. I didn’t know who was in there. I didn’t know what he was doing. Finally, I see a camera guy is talking to me. He wants to get an interview. I start doing an interview with the WWE camera crew. AJ Styles is walking down the hallway. We have our first official meeting in the building in over a year, right on camera. First time that we’d seen each other (since) we left the WWE over a year ago. So if a documentary comes out, or if it ever goes on YouTube, or whatever they do with it, you’ll see that first official meeting is the first time we’d seen each other and it’s legitimately on camera.”

On His Conversation With Styles After:

“We get to the back, I said, ‘AJ! I did not know you were really gonna retire.’ He goes, ‘Really!?’ I said, ‘Yeah. What do you mean ‘really,’ AJ? We haven’t spoke. How am I supposed to know if you’re really gonna retire or not?’ And he said, ‘Dude, I have to. My neck is hurting too bad. I’m beat up. It’s time. I want to help the next generation,’ and I go, ‘Well, I didn’t really believe it. So I just kept talking on my podcast about how you were not gonna retire, and you’re gonna go here and you’re gonna go there, and now, I gotta eat a lot of crow, pal.’”