AJ Styles On WrestleMania: 'It Has Lost Its Luster A Little Bit'

Last Updated:March 02, 2026, 18:20 IST

For Styles, the event lacks its historic "lustre" and is no longer the most exciting event on the WWE calendar for him.

Even as the build-up to the WWE’s biggest PLE event continued last weekend with the Elimination Chamber 2026 in Chicago, recently retired AJ Styles reckoned that WrestleMania had lost its once-unquestionable sheen and prestige. For Styles, the event lacks its historic “lustre" and is no longer the most exciting event on the WWE calendar for him.

Styles gave his remarks about WrestleMania during his appearance on ‘Raw Talk’, where he reflected upon his recent retirement and why he didn’t consider the previous year’s WrestleMania fight against Logan Paul as the right time for him to go.

AJ Styles on WrestleMania 

As is known, an injury sustained in 2024 disrupted Styles’ plans for a retirement match at WrestleMania 41 before he ultimately bid adieu to the scenes at the Royal Rumble in January this year. “I was coming back from an injury to WrestleMania to a match that didn’t, to me, have much build for WrestleMania," he said.

Styles indicated the Royal Rumble was always more special to him, as it was the first major live event of his successful career.

“Listen, I’m sorry to say, it (WrestleMania) used to be the most prestigious PLE, or pay-per-view, whatever you want to call it," he said.

“But to me, it’s kind of lost its luster a little bit. But as far as the Royal Rumble is concerned, that’s special to me, because that’s where I made my debut. So to be able to end where I started, it’s poetic."

AJ Styles and the Royal Rumble 

Calling it a “poetic" end to his prolonged stint with WWE, ‘The Phenomenal One’ did play his last match at the Royal Rumble 2026. After putting his career on the line, he lost a high-intensity clash with Gunther. The WWE universe gave Styles a fitting send-off recently during Monday Night Raw in Georgia last week, offering him an emotional tribute.

The Undertaker revealed that Styles will be one of the inductees for the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame, alongside Stephanie McMahon, for his outstanding performances and stunning comebacks in the ring over the years.

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