In the midst of swirling speculation about AJ Styles’ retirement status following his loss to Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble, AEW star MJF has posted an entrance photo of himself on X.com, striking a familiar arms-out pose. Initially, few acknowledged the closeness of Styles’ pose, although that has changed after MJF’s wife, Alicia Atout, responded by calling the picture “f*cking phenomenal.” And now some fans are claiming this was more than a simple nod to Styles’ iconic moniker, “The Phenomenal One,” but a hint he is AEW-bound once his WWE deal expires.
48-year-old Styles’ retirement from WWE came at the 2026 Royal Rumble on January 31, where he lost a career-threatening match to Gunther, ten years on from his WWE debut. Reports tie the timing to his expiring contract, with no new deal finalized. And while WWE has announced a tribute on the February 23 Raw in Atlanta, some suspect this could be a similar situation to Edge’s final WWE match, where, after much fanfare, the WWE Hall of Famer Edge subsequently signed with AEW just days after his contract expired.
