AJ Styles © WWE
"AJ Styles may be finished as an in-ring competitor in WWE"
AJ Styles was defeated by 'The Ring General' Gunther at the Royal Rumble and his fate is uncertain.
It's unclear if the former world champion made the final match of his career in Saudi Arabia last Saturday, but Peter Rosenberg's latest update hinted that 'The Phenomenal One' may have said goodbye to professional wrestling.
Experts and insiders were convinced that he would also participate in WrestleMania 42 this year, given that AJ himself had expressed his desire to be present at the 'Showcase of the Immortals' for the last time of his retirement. However - if the latest rumors were to be confirmed - Styles may have already finished his in-ring career and at this point it is legitimate to wonder what awaits him in the future.
Recently, Triple H opened up the possibility that AJ could follow a similar path to Shawn Michaels. After finishing his legendary career, HBK became part of the world of NXT helping many young stars grow and develop their talent.
What's next for AJ Styles?
According to top analyst Sean Ross Sapp - on the other hand - it is not excluded that Styles could accept a new experience in All Elite Wrestling.
“Certainly, it’s being speculated in AEW,” Sapp stated. “Everybody was talking about it. Everybody—everybody was talking about it backstage at Dynamite this past week” – he added.
AJ's decision to retire came a long time ago, when he realized that his body was no longer able to withstand the efforts required by professional wrestling. The number of his injuries has drastically increased in recent times and his performances were no longer as brilliant as before, although he surprised everyone against John Cena in the latter part of last year.
The former world champion does not want to ruin his image and his legacy, preferring to close this beautiful chapter of his life when he is still competitive. The next few weeks will be important to understand what direction the future of one of the best wrestlers of all time will take.
