AJ Styles once again challenged Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Clash at the Castle event in Scotland, and what an incredible encounter it was. The “I Quit” match saw Styles taking Cody to his limits, but The Phenomenal One ended up being short and eventually lost the opportunity to dethrone Rhodes’ from the title.
While the classic contest Styles had with The American Nightmare received a lot of praise from the professional wrestling audience, there’s another thing from the match that has grabbed fans’ attention. In the middle of the brutal contest between these in-ring stars, WWE veteran Wade Barrett made some controversial remarks about the legendary in-ring star.
During the one-on-one bout between the SmackDown stars, Barrett actually made a strange prediction about the future of AJ’s professional career. Sharing his thoughts about the future of the heel superstar, Wade said, “AJ may have no choice but to retire after this beatdown.” This comment from the former in-ring performer has become the hottest topic of discussion among the community.
As Styles recently fought for the biggest prize in the Triple H-led promotion, this statement hasn’t been received that well by the WWE Universe, and they’ve been talking about it in heavy numbers. Amid all the ongoing discussions around this topic, here’s why Barrett is horribly wrong about AJ Styles’ retirement from WWE after the humiliating loss to Cody.
The Phenomenal One is still an absolute beast inside the ring
A major reason why Barrett seems wrong about Styles’ professional future is that The Phenomenal One is still an absolute beast inside the ring. Throughout his recent feud with Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles has showcased that he’s still one of the best performers in the entire industry, and his ability to deliver a classic against any opponent is what makes it special.
The veteran fought against Cody at WWE Backlash and at the Clash at the Castle event, and both matches were top-class. Rhodes being all over Styles wasn’t the case in either of their fights, as on several occasions AJ seemed close to snatching the Undisputed Championship from The American Nightmare. As AJ has been able to work exceptionally well in the feud, it’s safe to say that he still has a lot of gas left in him as a pro wrestler.
AJ Styles’ fake retirement might be a sign that he’s going to be around for a while
The Phenomenal One’s in-ring work at the PLE in Scotland was fantastic, but the path WWE took to book this encounter was extraordinary. Styles faked his retirement just like Mark Henry did during his feud with John Cena, and this fake retirement segment could be a sign that he’s going to be active as an in-ring performer in the industry for a while.
Also, with the kind of blockbuster storylines he could have with guys like Andrade, Carmelo Hayes, Baron Corbin, or even RAW performers like Ilja Dragunov or Bron Breakker, it seems like he needs to stay active for a few more years. The theory of his potential return to TNA amid the recent work between WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is also something to look forward to.
Taking into account all these factors, it’s evident that Wade Barrett is probably not aware of the kind of impact Styles could still make in the industry. Thus, it’s probably safe to say that AJ Styles isn’t going anywhere, and he’s most likely to continue performing as an important and veteran member of the WWE roster.
