3 AEV dream match for AJ Styles after his WWE career loss at the Royal Rumble
When AJ Styles is announced for a “career threat” match against Gunter at the Royal Rumbleit looked like WWE fans might be seeing the end of the line for “Phenomenal.”
Facing the new “Legend Killer” who had just added John Cena’s jorts to his mantle the previous month, Styles reminded fans why he is one of the most revolutionary performers of the last two decades, delivering a greatest hits list of his signature moves before being choked out by the “Ring General” until the bell rang.
After the match, Styles removed his signature gloves and looked out into the crowd, preparing for the time-honored tradition of leaving his boots in the ring before calling it a career, but in a strange twist of fate, he changed his mind. Styles put the gloves back on and saluted the crowd before leaving the ring with all of his gear.
This, along with his decision to stay, saying he was putting his “VVE career” on the line, and Allen “AJ Styles” Jones’ recent trademark filing for his name and in-ring logo, has fans wondering if “The Phenomenal” could be appearing in another promotion and taking his retirement tour away from the promotion he’s called home for years.
To their credit, WWE tried to keep Kaifabe alive. In a promotional show, Paul “Triple H” Levesque assured fans that Styles done did, noting that he he doesn’t believe the 48-year-old would keep his word.
“We had a lot of conversations outside of the chance when this all went down. Obviously, we were expecting it later in the year. We had a lot of conversations about it. AJ is one of those guys who absolutely wants to give back and be a part of this business. I don’t want to speak for him, but in the conversations he had with me, he made it very clear that he made it very clear to Fighting that he was in the game.
“There’s a point in your career where you just get to the point where you say, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,’ and your heart goes out, no matter how good you are — he hasn’t lost a step, anything — but when you just say, I’m at a point where I don’t want to do this anymore, it’s time. Before you get hurt, before you’re told you can’t do this anymore. I think he’s been there. I hope he contributes, because again, he’s one of the most influential people in the business and one of the greatest minds in the business, and I think when you see someone like what Shawn Michaels is doing in NXT, I think that’s the path and the career path for AJ Styles, after this period that he’s been in.
Can Levesque be proven right? Or does he know that he’s not, but that most WWE fans only follow the promotion, allowing him to keep up the kayfabe even if many of their peers will be watching Styles wrestle elsewhere before the end of the year? In any case, if Style is available, Tony Kahn has to come callingas there are dream matches in AEV that could feed families.
https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=klR83ItlOKU
The last time Kenny Omega and AJ Styles shared a ring together was back in January 2016, when the former overthrew the latter and became the new leader of the Bullet Club.
Now admittedly, Styles was leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling for WWE and, as a result, had to be removed for logistical and creative reasons, but even now, a decade later, it’s not hard to imagine the two-time former IVGP Heavyweight Champion walking into the promotion and immediately demanding a receipt from the AEV EVP.
Like Omega, Styles has a history with the Good Brothers, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, using the duo as his warm-up between appearances in WWE as part of The OC, and that trio could return to AEV and wage war against the Elite. Styles, who has teamed with Young Bucks in the past, could work singles matches against the Jackson brothers, the trio could wrestle in less formal street fights and eventually enter the title scene one way or another, whether it’s all six men going for the trio titles, or Omega feuding with his fellow Bullet Club leader for one belt.
Factor in the presence of a Bullet Club chapter in AEV, Bullet Club Gold, and a feud between Omega and Styles ending in title matches on pay-per-view, it would be a great way to make the “Phenomenal One” All Elite.
https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=IvhpARz9-Ig
Jai White
Speaking of Bullet Club leaders in AEV, technically the only person on the roster with that name is “Switchblade” Jay White, who took over the role from Omega in New Japan and still technically holds it despite David Finlay holding down the War Dogs thing in Japan.
One of the world’s top in-ring stars, notably hosting Madison Square Garden at the G1 Supercard, White has been out since April 2025 after suffering a hand injury, but could theoretically return at any time that makes sense for AEV and his recovery.
Could it be for a Bullet Club civil war against Styles, who wants to reclaim his former role in AEV? It certainly seems possible.
As things currently stand, Bullet Club Gold includes Wyatt, Juice Robinson, Ace Austin, and the Gunn Club minus Billy. Styles could take over that group and take it to heights White never imagined in Khan’s company, making the return of “King Switch” all the more impressive. Wyatt could then return to challenge Styles for the leadership of the group, or simply make his club debut to compete with Juice and company, whether it be with the Good Brothers or some other wrestlers from his past.
Either way, Wyatt was a kid who wasn’t even in the main event scene the last time he shared the ring with Styles. Including the duo in a match during their main roles would be an amazing full circle moment for AEV, NJPV and wrestling as a whole.
https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=sVJrhJ48jIg
If Styles can have one match in AEV, it should be against Will Ospreay.
Styles is Ospreay’s biggest influence, to the point where “Billy Goat” began using the Styles Clash as a tribute to the TNA legend and openly stated that he would like to wrestle Styles a third time to finish trilogy which began at High Stakes 2015 at RevPro and culminated a few months later with a RevPro British Heavyweight title match at RevPro Uprising later that year.
Booking Ospreay vs. Styles, even without the title, could be the main event of any AEV show of the year, even All In at Wembley Stadium in London, and would really attract additional PPV sales from fans eager to see the greatest wrestlers of the last generation go head-to-head against the best guy of this era in a match that could be stopped by Dave Meltzer.
Could Styles ultimately keep his word to Levescue and stay out of the ring action? Sure, but considering Ospreay tweeted “Phenomenal” with a capital P during the Royal Rumble, it’s clear that he remains just as excited about the prospect of Styles finally taking his talents to AEV as many fans around the world, and could use his significant influence in the company to make a run for it this year.
2026-02-01 06:22:00
