Wrestling On FanNation

Update On Whether AJ Styles Will Wrestle In TNA Again Before Retiring

AJ Styles has made a return to TNA in the last year, but will he wrestle in a TNA ring again before retiring this year?
Ethan Schlabaugh|
AJ Styles
AJ Styles | Netflix

Late 2025 saw WWE superstar AJ Styles confirm his plans to retire from professional wrestling in 2026, following nearly three decades of in-ring work.

After a falling out between the two, Styles left his home promotion of TNA in 2014 and went on to have successful runs in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and WWE, where he has remained since signing with back in 2016.

Will Styles compete in TNA again?

Last year saw AJ Styles make his return to TNA at Slammiversary to congratulate Leon Slater on becoming the X Division Champion. This was the first time Styles was in a TNA ring in 11 years.

slater Styles slammiversary
TNA Wrestling

Since that return, and the announcement that he would be appearing on the AMC debut episode of TNA Impact today, many people have been wondering if Styles would compete in a TNA match again now that WWE and TNA have a working relationship with each other.

A report from Bodyslam indicates that a match might come to fruition before Styles retires, noting that several people within WWE believe that a match will take place at some point, but it wasn't stated that it would happen tonight.

TNA's original plan for the AMC debut episode was going to see Styles return to face off against Frankie Kazarian for the TNA World Championship, before those plans were changed to a rematch between Kazarian and Mike Santana.

Possibly facing Frankie Kazarian

While Styles has had an interaction with Leon Slater on TNA, plans for a TNA might have shifted more towards Frankie Kazarian.

The Takedown on SI previously reported that TNA sources planned a segment between Styles and Kazarian for Slammiversary before those plans changed.

Kazarian also did an interview with Rewind Recap Relive and spoke about the idea of facing AJ Styles, saying that both he and Styles want the match and assume the fans want it as well. The two have a lot of chemistry, having shared the ring countless times across TNA, ROH, NJPW, and the independents.

Tonight's episode will see AJ Styles appear on Impact for the first time since leaving the promotion, and it is a safe bet that any seeds for a possible future match, whether it be against Frankie Kazarian, Leon Slater, or anyone else on the roster, would be planted.

The Latest On WWE,AEW, & More

The Undertaker Discusses The Original Name WWE Gave Him

Powerhouse Hobbs Reportedly Set To Leave AEW Amid Rumored WWE Interest

Kyle Fletcher Opens Up On Scary Bump At AEW Worlds End Last Year

Nic Nemeth Confirms He Has Re-Signed With TNA

Published
Ethan Schlabaugh
ETHAN SCHLABAUGH

Ethan Schlabaugh is a news writer for The Takedown on SI. His journalism experience has seen him cover professional wrestling for outlets such as TheSportster, The Takedown and more. He has been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, dating back to his first experience with the WCW Nintendo 64 games, and that passion for the sport has remained many years later. He also writes feature articles for ResuraMag, where he focuses on mainstream Japanese promotions like Stardom and Marigold.

Home/TNA