AJ Styles has been retired since losing to Gunther at the January Royal Rumble, a match that turned out to be his last without much warning. Since then, the 27-year veteran has settled into life coaching at the WWE Performance Center and producing matches for Evolve. But when Chris Van Vliet pushed him on the subject during a recent sit-down, Styles admitted there’s exactly one scenario that could get him back in the ring.
Van Vliet was a guest on the latest episode of The AJ Styles Show, where he brought up a tease Styles had floated in an earlier interview about a possible comeback match. Styles didn’t walk it back. He explained that retired wrestlers are typically granted one comeback match, and made it clear who he’d want standing across the ring from him, or rather, next to him.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m probably not going to come back for an indie show. I mean, even if it’s to wrestle with my boys, I probably don’t want to do that. I don’t mind being a special guest and like a manager kind of thing, but if I do come back, hopefully I’m not 60, and it’s on a big show,” Styles said. (H/T WrestleZone for the transcription.)
“What father wouldn’t want to come back and tag with his sons? So I don’t know if that opportunity will come because it depends on how long it’s going to take him,” he added.
His Sons Are Already Building Toward It
The “him” Styles is referring to is Avery Styles, his 19-year-old son, who’s already answered the bell. Avery made his in-ring debut in June at a Squared Circle Action event, sliding under the guardrail into a Phenomenal Forearm and finishing the match with his dad’s own Styles Clash while AJ counted the pinfall from ringside. He followed it up with a GCW debut in July, picking up the win with a spiral tap. Both clips went viral, and Styles has said his son’s debut was better than his own.
Styles’ older son, Ajay Styles, hasn’t wrestled yet. He’s still playing baseball, though watching his younger brother’s debut reportedly got him thinking about it too. If both sons end up in the ring, a Styles family tag match wouldn’t be short on options.
What “One More Match” Would Mean for a Hall of Famer
Styles’ retirement capped a 10-year run in WWE that started and ended at the Royal Rumble, and a 27-year career overall. His last title was the WWE Tag Team Championship, won alongside Dragon Lee. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, with The Undertaker delivering the news to him on-screen.
A retirement match walking that story back would be a big deal on its own. One that puts his sons in the ring with him would be bigger. Styles isn’t promising it’s coming, but he’s not ruling it out either, and given how quickly Avery is climbing, it might not be that far off.
