AEW recently honored AJ Styles following his final WWE appearance at the Royal Rumble on January 31st. Styles was defeated by Gunther in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which officially triggered his retirement clause. Christopher Daniels, AEW’s head of talent relations and former wrestler, paid tribute to Styles on social media, describing him as “as elite as ever.” Daniels shared on Twitter that he refrained from commenting immediately after Styles’ last match because capturing 25 years of dedication and emotion in a few tweets wasn’t possible. He expressed deep admiration and gratitude, emphasizing Styles’ enduring excellence in wrestling.
Throughout their careers, Styles and Daniels often competed against each other in promotions such as NWA, ROH, and TNA, and even held the NWA World Tag Team Championship together. Although Styles has stepped away from active competition, he has hinted that a future return might be possible.
Fan Take: AEW’s recognition of AJ Styles highlights the deep respect wrestlers command across promotions, reinforcing the close-knit nature of the wrestling community. For AEW fans, it signals that the legacy of pioneers like Styles will continue to influence the sport’s evolution, maintaining high standards of excellence and inspiring the next generation of talent.
