WWE Removes 3-Time United States Champion From The Active Roster

On the night before WrestleMania 42, a former 3-time United States Champion was added to WWE’s Hall of Fame.

On April 17, AJ Styles was immortalized as a Hall of Famer along with Stephanie McMahon, Demolition, Sycho Sid, Dennis Rodman, and Bad News Brown.

Styles retired from in-ring competition after the 2026 Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he lost a singles match to Gunther. The bout also came with a stipulation that would force Styles into retirement if he lost.

The Phenomenal One was inducted by his long-time friends and former WWE stars, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

While competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Anderson and Gallows were part of The Bullet Club, led by Styles. In WWE, the trio formed The O.C., with Michin being added later.

Since his retirement, there have been speculations about AJ Styles returning to wrestling, either in the Stamford promotion or another company.

During the Hall of Fame ceremony, the 48-year-old revealed that he had been brought on to the staff as a talent scout, and his job was to find the next Phenomenal One.

Meanwhile, his profile was moved to the Hall of Fame section of the company’s official website after being removed from the main roster.

AJ Styles has been Officially moved from the Current WWE Superstars roster page to the Hall of Fame section. pic.twitter.com/PYO2DAbRlx

— J O H N (@RomanEra0) April 22, 2026

AJ Styles Might Return To Wrestling After WWE Retirement

AJ Styles has been on the road as a wrestler since 1998, when he made his debut in the independent scene.

Having competed across the United States and in Japan, Styles admitted that he had been struggling to get used to the non-wrestling side of life.

While he might not be able to compete in WWE, he could return to TNA due to the Stamford promotion’s working relationship with the Nashville company.

As of this moment, he is focused on his role as a talent scout, keeping a thick cloud over his future as an in-ring performer.

During an appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast, Styles was asked if he would consider wrestling in the future, to which he did not give a definite no as the answer.

I don’t know. I don’t know. Never say never, right? That’s the saying. I think everybody is allowed at least once to come out of retirement. I’m not saying I’ll do it anytime soon. I’m just saying that, what if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once? You never know. There will be a time when the gloves never go back on, and it may be now. We’ll see.

Also read: What TNA Really Wanted AJ Styles To Do On Shock Return