By FirstSportz,Vibhor Pal

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As if the impending John Cena retirement from wrestling wasn’t already hitting the fans in the feels, one more veteran of the game has decided to call it quits within the next year. He’s none other than AJ Styles. The former NJPW star told Chris Van Vliet earlier this year that he’d hang up his boots before turning 50.

And if the exact timeline was vague, it’s not anymore, as ‘The Phenomenal One’ revealed in a recent interview with Tokyo Sports that he’ll definitely retire from in-ring competition in 2026. Styles said he doesn’t want to expose a different side of himself to his fans outside of what they know him for the best. Moreover, he wants to bow out before his body stops moving.

I’ll probably be at WrestleMania (next April in Las Vegas), but that’s not locked in. The details aren’t decided yet, but there’s no doubt I’ll retire sometime next year. I don’t want the fans to see me as anyone other than AJ Styles. That’s the biggest reason. Before my body stops working, I’ve decided to retire.
AJ Styles via Tokyo Sports

‘The Georgia Pitbull’ broached the possibility of competing at WrestleMania 42, which is on track to be his last as an active wrestler. However, the former WWE Champion mentioned that it’s still undecided whether he’d actually be working the Show of Shows in Las Vegas. For the unversed, Styles’ current WWE contract will be up in February 2026, which means he’d become a free agent just prior to Mania.