AJ Styles opens up about the end of his career: "Retiring is an accomplishment too"

After almost three decades in the world of professional wrestling, AJ Styles has wanted to clarify his position regarding the rumors that place his retirement at the end of 2026. The 48-year-old wrestler addressed the issue during a recent appearance on the Six Feet Under podcast, hosted by The Undertaker, where he spoke calmly and reflectively about the end of his career.

Although WWE has not officially communicated any specific plans about his future, Styles made it clear that his understanding of retirement is far from a forced farewell. For him, hanging up the boots without a serious injury involved and being able to decide the exact moment is, in itself, a personal triumph.

Retirement is the opportunity to leave on your own terms, not due to an injury. The goal of working is to be able to retire, and achieving that is a celebration. I hope that when that moment comes, you celebrate it with me, because I will have achieved my goals.

Styles implicitly recalled the long journey taken to get here, going through key stages in TNA, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the independent circuit, before his debut in WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble. Since then, he has been involved in some of the most important matches of the last decade and has built a career that few can match.

Without official confirmation, his words make it clear that AJ Styles is already thinking of the end not as a sad goodbye, but as the natural conclusion of an exceptional career, marked by perseverance, reinvention, and having reached the end on his own terms. There are rumors that Gunther could be his last career rival.