AJ Styles knows his time in the ring is limited.
The WWE star has been vocal about not wanting to wrestle in his 50s. The 48-year-old has reiterated on multiple occasions that he plans to retire before his 50th birthday in 2027.
The Phenomenal One once again addressed the topic during his appearance on WWE Crown Jewel Kickoff show from Australia before SmackDown. He said that he wants to spend more time with family now:
“I’m getting old, folks. Listen, if I could find the fountain of youth and take a couple sips, I’d wrestle for the rest of my life, but I am getting older. The fear of embarrassing myself is getting closer.
You know what? There comes a time in a man’s life when he has to take care of business, but when business is done, it’s time to take care of his family. I need to spend time with my family.”
AJ Styles explained that he has fulfilled his goals in the business. What’s left for him is to retire with grace, which he will do in 2026:
“The whole idea with wrestling and having an amazing future in this business is to be able to retire one day, and in 2026, I will retire.”
The wrestling veteran did not reveal a detailed timetable for his retirement, but reports suggest that his current contract expires sometime before WrestleMania 42. So it’s possible that we’ll see his retirement match at the Show of Shows next year.