AJ Styles Knew AEW Was Ready to Pay Big Before WWE Hall of Fame Reveal

AJ Styles may be headed to the WWE Hall of Fame — but behind the scenes, AEW was reportedly ready to open the checkbook.

According to Justin Barrasso of Undisputed, Styles was “well aware” that AEW would have made him a major offer if he decided to wrestle outside of WWE. And it reportedly wouldn’t have required much time away from home. Barrasso wrote:

“For as much as WWE claims to be blissfully unaware of what is happening in AEW, that isn’t the case. With Styles getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, it severely limits any potential AEW owner Tony Khan had of bringing Styles in for a surprise appearance at the Revolution pay-per-view in March. For AEW, their post-WrestleMania show is Double or Nothing in May–and even that feels too soon for Styles to appear.”

He continued by clarifying that Styles wasn’t actively shopping himself around — but he knew the door was open.

“That isn’t to imply Styles was looking to wrestle again. He meant what he said about spending time at home with family. But speaking to a few people close to him, Styles was well aware that AEW was willing to make a substantial offer. And it was likely going to be one that wouldn’t cost him much time away from home.”

Styles officially retired after losing to Gunther at the Royal Rumble 2026. WWE followed that up with an emotional tribute in his hometown of Atlanta on Raw, where Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Frankie Kazarian, and Abyss all appeared. The segment closed with The Undertaker revealing that Styles will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 42 weekend.

That Hall of Fame announcement changes the optics significantly. Once a wrestler is publicly embraced at that level, it becomes much harder to envision them popping up elsewhere in the short term — especially with Tony Khan reportedly interested in bringing him in for a surprise appearance.

Still, the speculation won’t disappear overnight. Paul “Triple H” Levesque has openly stated he’d like Styles to remain involved with WWE in some capacity behind the scenes. Meanwhile, Styles himself hasn’t completely ruled out one more match. On Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast, he admitted that most wrestlers reserve the right to come out of retirement at least once.

One scenario he floated? Teaming with one of his children if they choose to pursue professional wrestling. For now, Styles appears content at home — and headed toward a Hall of Fame ring. But the fact that AEW was prepared to make a substantial offer proves that even in retirement, “The Phenomenal One” remains one of the most valuable names in the business.

Do you think AJ Styles should stay retired and embrace a WWE Hall of Fame legacy — or would you want to see him make one more surprise run somewhere else? Let us know your thoughts below.