“I Never Should Have Made It”: AJ Styles Vows Not to Overstay His Welcome With a Short Hall of Fame Speech

AJ Styles already knows exactly what kind of Hall of Fame inductee he wants to be — and it’s not the kind that goes on too long. Speaking on The Phenomenally Retro Podcast, Styles revealed his approach to his upcoming induction speech, promising to keep things concise out of respect for the fans, the other inductees, and anyone who has sat through a speech that overstayed its welcome.

“I’m gonna try not to piss everybody off who has come there to see all the other inductions. So short and sweet, I think, is the best way to do it,” Styles said. He added that he has a long list of people to thank but plans to be efficient about it. “I know I’ve got a lot of people that I need to thank. I’m gonna try to do that and tell the fans how much I appreciate them for getting me this far because, listen, I look at me in the mirror and I know I never should have made it. So the fact that I did, that’s a testament to the kind of fans that are out there.”

Styles Working as a Scout for WWE Following His Royal Rumble Retirement

Styles was inducted into the 2026 Hall of Fame class following his retirement at the Royal Rumble, where GUNTHER defeated him in his final match. He has since taken on a scouting role for WWE, keeping an eye on emerging independent talent. According to Fightful Select, Styles was recently at a Georgia independent show — ROAR — advising talent in his new capacity behind the scenes.