When AJ Styles officially announced his retirement on Monday Night Raw, the wrestling world accepted the decision with deep respect. However, the men who know him best in the industry are not entirely convinced that “The Phenomenal One” has wrestled his final match. Longtime friends and tag team partners Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, known collectively as The Good Brothers, recently weighed in on Styles’ future.
“The Itch is Always Going to Come Back”
During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, the duo expressed their belief that Styles’ competitive drive will eventually pull him back to the squared circle. Anderson suggested that while Styles will initially find fulfillment in a mentorship role, the desire to perform will resurface. “I think he’s able to fix the itch by helping people. He loves teaching… I really believe that will satisfy the itch…until he can’t satisfy the itch anymore with it,” Anderson stated. He predicted an absence of a year or two before a return becomes inevitable. “He’s too competitive, man. And he’s just too good still.”
Gallows echoed his partner’s sentiments with absolute certainty. “AJ beat the house, but I would bet this beautiful house that I’m sitting in right now that he will be back,” Gallows declared boldly. “There’s too much left in the tank. And the itch is real.”
Interestingly, these confident predictions contradict the initial impression Gallows had on the night of the retirement ceremony. Captured in WWE backstage footage in Atlanta, Gallows originally stated, “He actually really is finished, and there’s not another story… I just saw him and I could see how happy he was.” While Styles currently appears content with his decision and his impending Hall of Fame induction, the wrestling business is famous for its high-profile unretirements, leaving the door slightly ajar for a phenomenal return down the road.
