WWE Hall Of Famer Names AJ Styles As The Face Of Modern Wrestling

AJ Styles is quite simply the face of modern wrestling, according to one WWE Hall of Famer.

AJ Styles was forced to hang up his boots after losing to Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble. Despite questions about Styles’ future outside WWE, it seems he’s staying put at least for the time being.

The February 23rd edition of RAW saw WWE pay its own tribute to AJ Styles in his home state of Georgia. With the show nearing its end, The Undertaker made a shock appearance and told Styles that he is going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.

When RAW went off the air, the WWE locker room emptied with stars from Styles’ past joining the stars of today to give Styles an emotional send-off.

Jeff Jarrett Explains Just What AJ Styles Means To Modern Wrestling

Now WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett, who knows Styles well from their days in TNA, has given his honest assessment of Styles’ place in wrestling’s landscape. Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Undisputed, Jarrett noted his belief that Styles’ role in helping lead TNA’s X Division had a revolutionary impact on modern wrestling:

I could not be happier for the guy. Getting to work with him was super special. It always takes me back to the creation of the X Division. At the beginning, there were so many questions and doubts about the X Division. I was adamant that it wasn’t about weight limits; it was about no limits

Look at today’s style of wrestling–the 2026 modern style–that’s the X Division from ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07. You think of [Samoa] Joe, [Christopher] Daniels, Sonjay [Dutt], and so many others. And AJ is the face of that. That’s why AJ is the face of modern wrestling. I’m super grateful to have worked with him in the ring and behind the scenes with him. I feel very blessed to be a part of AJ Styles’ career.