Following his WWE retirement last month after a loss to Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble, it has been speculated that AJ Styles could be headed to AEW for a final run. However, that is officially not happening, as PWInsider.com reports that the 48-year-old has signed a new contract with WWE, which will see him go from in-ring competition to a backstage role focused on talent development, potentially based at the WWE Performance Center.
Several past wrestling stars have moved from the ring to backstage mentorship and talent-development roles, with Shawn Michaels now serving as Senior Vice President of Talent Development, likely the most high-profile example. Additionally, guiding NXT’s rising stars are names like Matt Bloom, Fit Finlay, Steve Corino, and Jazz, who recently joined the team, with the main objective of ensuring WWE has confident, skilled superstars ready for the spotlight.
