AJ Styles has given fans a look inside his new role as a WWE talent scout, opening up on his Phenomenally Retro podcast about what he’s looking for as he travels indie shows and scours the internet for the next generation of wrestling talent. The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame inductee was direct about the quality he values most — and it has nothing to do with move sets.
“I know what it’s like to be on the indies. Having a job and then traveling on the indies — sometimes it’s hard to get things that you need. And so if they were as desperate as I was to make it in the wrestling business, I’d love to see them before anybody else snags them up,” Styles said. “I want to see myself in them — meaning not the same abilities, not the same size. Just the same heart and passion that is going to go into this, because we have no Plan B.”
AJ Styles Warns That Psychology Must Match Athletic Ability for Indie Talent to Get Noticed
Styles also addressed a specific problem he encounters frequently when reviewing talent highlights — impressive athleticism undermined by poor psychology. “A lot of times you’ll see highlights and you’re like, ‘Wow, that was amazing!’ But sometimes it is ruined by the stuff that happened before that didn’t make any sense. So it’s having that ability to do all those impressive things and then make it all make sense psychology-wise.” He acknowledged that he himself was guilty of prioritising spectacle over substance early in his career. “I thought the dives were important, where in reality they weren’t as important as the little things. But we don’t know that until later.” Styles has also been attending indie shows directly as part of his scouting responsibilities, positioning himself to identify talent before other promotions have the chance to sign them.
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