AJ Styles officially closed the book on his legendary in-ring career, but his journey within the professional wrestling industry is far from over. On the February 23 episode of WWE Raw, “The Phenomenal One” left his boots in the ring in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, before being surprised by The Undertaker with an announcement of his impending WWE Hall of Fame induction.
Scouting and Mentoring the Next Generation
Styles will be immortalized in the 2026 Hall of Fame class next month in Las Vegas alongside Stephanie McMahon and Demolition. However, his post-retirement chapter involves a highly influential backstage role within WWE. During the premiere episode of The Phenomenally Retro Podcast, Styles detailed his new responsibilities, which span from the independent circuit to NXT and the main roster.
“I’m on the internet, and I’m checking out talent,” Styles revealed. “Because it’s gonna be part of my job with WWE now is I’m looking for talent. And I’m looking to see what I can do, if I can do anything for them, if they can get better, little things like that.” He specifically mentioned assisting independent wrestlers in securing opportunities through the newly established WWE ID program.
His guidance will not be limited to external recruitment. Styles confirmed he will be actively involved with current WWE superstars across all brands. “It’ll be NXT talent and maybe some main roster talent as well,” he explained, noting he plans to attend the upcoming Monday Night Raw in Seattle to check on locker room morale. “Sometimes you need to talk to somebody to see how they’re feeling, and maybe they want to go down the PC, and they want to work on some stuff. I’m that guy.”
Having a talent with Styles’ vast global experience evaluating and mentoring the roster is a massive victory for WWE’s developmental infrastructure. Furthermore, Styles confirmed during the podcast that he is currently training his son to become a professional wrestler. This development strongly suggests that a second-generation superstar carrying the Styles legacy could eventually make their way to the WWE Performance Center in the years to come.
