An AEW legend and executive, who also happens to be a long-time peer and close friend of AJ Styles’, has finally broken his silence on the latter’s WWE retirement. The individual in question, Christopher Daniels, hung up his own boots last year.
This past Saturday at the 2026 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles squared off against Gunther once again, but this time with his WWE career on the line. The bout ended in shocking fashion, however, with The Ring General prevailing over The Phenomenal One. Interestingly, the veteran did not leave his gloves in the ring post-match despite teasing doing so, leading many to speculate that his career inside the squared circle may not actually be done yet.
A huge number of wrestling fans have been clamoring for AJ to go to AEW for one final retirement run there. As speculations regarding The Georgia Pitbull and his future continue to circulate, one of his long-time friends and most iconic rivals, Christopher Daniels, has finally addressed his WWE retirement. The AEW Head of Talent Relations penned a brief but heartfelt tribute to AJ Styles, noting that no matter what happens, the latter has always been and will always be “elite”.
“I’ve been quiet following @AJStylesOrg last match because I don’t think I can condense 25 years of emotions & experiences into 1 or 2 tweets. Nothing I type can fully express my love, respect, and appreciation for him. Regardless of what happens, AJ was and is always elite! ❤️” – Daniels wrote.
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The Fallen Angel wrestled his own retirement bout last year at Collision: Maximum Carnage, where he was defeated in a brutal Texas Death Match by Hangman Adam Page.
Ricochet thinks AJ Styles does not have the “guts” to show up in AEW
For weeks now, conjecture has been making the rounds regarding the possibility of AJ Styles signing with All Elite Wrestling, in the aftermath of his WWE career coming to an end. However, one of the Tony Khan-led company’s top heels, Ricochet, has been sceptical of the odds of The Prince of Phenomenal making the jump. The Excellence of Elevation reiterated this belief during his recent interview on The Adrian Hernandez Show, boldly claiming (very likely in character) that Styles no longer has the athletic capability of keeping up with him or with other top AEW names.
“I don’t think he’s got the guts. I know he’s the Phenomenal AJ Styles, but the bar’s been raised over here. Wherever he goes, he’s getting old. The dropkick isn’t as high as it used to be. He wants to come here and compete with Ricochet, The Demand, Tommaso Ciampa, and Kazuchika Okada? Come on, AJ. Come on, AJ—it’s a different ball game. This is where the best wrestle.”
It remains to be seen whether AJ might show up in AEW for one more showdown with Ricochet.
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Edited by Anurag Mukherjee
