AJ Styles Explored Options Outside WWE Before Re-Signing
This coming January will mark a decade of the WWE tenure of AJ Styles, a man many once-believed would never be a ‘Superstar.’ In 2025, Styles re-signed with the promotion, ending speculation about his future, but not before the two-time former WWE World Champion considered his options.
According to Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated, multiple sources told The Takedown that before Styles signed his latest WWE contract extension, he put feelers out there. These feelers were to gauge potential options outside WWE, and promoters were reportedly very interested in working with him. There were some early discussions, the report adds, before Styles re-signed with WWE.
Styles’ new deal is reportedly set to expire in February 2026, meaning fans could see a huge departure during the road to WrestleMania 42. In 2019, Styles revealed that he had spoken to the Young Bucks about a move to AEW, before re-signing with WWE.
While Styles’ career in WWE has been the run most wrestlers could only dream of, there’s no shortage of people ready to see something fresh. Ajay Jones, the son of Styles, recently shared that he gets angry with his Triple H books his father, seeing it as a tantamount to disrespect.
While Styles remains committed to WWE for now, fans know to never say never in wrestling. Similar to how there was a time when AJ Styles in WWE seemed impossible, fans shouldn’t count out a Phenomenal future in another promotion.
