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AJ Styles’ New Role In WWE After In-Ring Retirement Revealed

By Gaurav Singh • Published Jul 25, 2026 08:18 EDT
AJ Styles WWE
AJ Styles (Image Source-WWE.com)

Following his retirement from in-ring competition, AJ Styles disclosed his new role in the WWE.

AJ Styles has had a highly decorated pro wrestling career which began back in the late 1990s. After his memorable runs in TNA and NJPW, The Phenomenal One joined the WWE in 2016. He won a number of accolades during his run, including two World Championship wins as well.

Earlier this year at the Royal Rumble PLE, AJ Styles put his career on the line in a match against Gunther. Styles ended up losing the match and announced his retirement from in-ring competition. The Phenomenal One was later inducted into the Hall of Fame this year and is still with the Sports Entertainment Juggernaut.

Meanwhile, AJ Styles revealed his new non-wrestling role in the WWE following his in-ring retirement while speaking on The Phenomenally Retro Podcast. Styles disclosed that he produced the match between Tony D’Angelo and Naraku on the episode of NXT this past week:

I was able to help with the producing of the Tony D and Naraku match. I thought it went really well. I’m one of those people who is still heavily involved in watching the match. While I was on the headset, I did not do a good job of saying anything other than, ‘Ah! Yes!’ I let somebody else handle that part of the producing,” Styles revealed.

AJ Styles was going to retire before the WWE Royal Rumble 2026 PLE

During a recent interview, AJ Styles disclosed that he was about to retire at WrestleMania 41 last year, but it didn’t feel right:

Well, I was gonna retire before the Royal Rumble at WrestleMania [41], but I just come back from my foot injury, and it just didn’t seem right. I was feeling kind of good, actually. Once I got my foot back in order, I was like, man. I’m sure money was a thing, because I didn’t ask for more money, I just wanted to extend it.”

But then again, they did right by me, paying me well, and so I know that was an issue, but then we finally got that in order, and I was like, all right, here we go. I’m not saying I didn’t get weird near the end of knowing I was going to retire or leave WWE; I got weird, dude.”

It will be interesting to see if The Phenomenal One will become a regular backstage producer in WWE.

Also read: AJ Styles Breaks Silence On Ex-AEW Star’s Arrival In WWE