AEW Expected To Be Interested In AJ Styles If He Becomes Available

AJ Styles' WWE career came to an end at the Royal Rumble as the 48-year-old lost to Gunther in a match with Styles' career on the line.

While WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque has claimed AJ Styles is done in the ring, Styles himself signalled he might not be completely finished in the squared circle following his loss to Gunther as he put his gloves back on after he teased leaving them in the ring.

Fightful Select has reported that AJ Styles' retirement was a major point of conversation backstage at the January 28 episode of AEW Dynamite as they speculated about what Styles would be doing. It is universally expected within All Elite Wrestling that the promotion would bring in Styles if AEW are able to. Styles remains close to several wrestlers in AEW.

The expectation is Styles would have interest from New Japan Pro-Wrestling too, particularly as the promotion are in the process of losing several wrestlers. Styles has a rich history with NJPW from his two-year run in the company as a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and former leader of Bullet Club.

Styles has often discussed having one more match in TNA Wrestling, and he has made a couple of appearances for TNA as part of the TNA-WWE NXT working relationship. It was noted to Fightful, though, that Styles would have been able to work TNA while under WWE contract if AJ wanted to do it badly enough.

A source close to AJ Styles noted they knew his in-ring career was coming to an end at the Royal Rumble but they are unsure about what he is going to do next.