A.J. Styles Reveals New Role Helping Talent in WWE

Former WWE Superstar to scout and mentor wrestlers on the main roster and in NXT

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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A.J. Styles has announced a new behind-the-scenes role with WWE, where he will be scouting and mentoring talent on the main roster as well as in NXT. Styles, who recently retired from in-ring competition, said his new duties include checking in on current WWE and NXT superstars to see if he can help them improve their skills and morale. He also plans to scour the independent wrestling scene to identify potential future WWE talent.

Why it matters

Styles' new role represents an interesting transition for the veteran wrestler, who is using his decades of experience to help develop the next generation of WWE Superstars. As one of the most respected performers of his era, Styles' input could prove invaluable in shaping the future of the company.

The details

Styles revealed his new responsibilities on his "Phenomenally Retro" podcast, where he said he will be "checking out talent" on the internet and reaching out to wrestlers on the main roster and in NXT to see if he can provide any assistance. This includes potentially helping talent work on their skills at the WWE Performance Center. Styles also plans to attend upcoming WWE events, like the next Monday Night Raw in Seattle, to meet with talent in person.

  • Styles retired from in-ring competition after losing to Gunther at the Royal Rumble in January 2026.
  • Styles signed a new deal with WWE for his new backstage role, which was first reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider.
  • Styles will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 42 weekend in April 2026.

The players

A.J. Styles

A former WWE Superstar who has transitioned into a behind-the-scenes role with the company, where he will be scouting and mentoring talent on the main roster and in NXT.

Gunther

The wrestler who defeated Styles in his final match before retirement at the 2026 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Mike Johnson

A reporter for PWInsider who first reported on Styles' new backstage role with WWE.

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What they’re saying

“I'm on the internet and I'm checking out talent because it's kind of going to be part of my job with WWE now. I'm looking for talent and I'm looking to see what I can do, if I can do anything for them, if they can get better, you know, little things like that. Because if there is a possibility of them maybe getting a WWE ID contract or something like that, then hopefully I can facilitate and get that to happen.”

— A.J. Styles (Phenomenally Retro Podcast)

“So, as of right now, it's a little slow, but there are phone calls that are going to have to be made to make sure my job is done and it's not just with indie talent. It'll be NXT talent and it may mean main roster talent as well. I'm going to go to Seattle for the next Monday Night Raw, talk with talent. Who knows, sometimes you need to talk to somebody to see how they're feeling and maybe they want to go down to the PC and they wanna work on some stuff. The morale, if I can help make sure it's still there in a good way, I want to be that guy.”

— A.J. Styles (Phenomenally Retro Podcast)

What’s next

Styles plans to attend the next Monday Night Raw event in Seattle to meet with and mentor talent on the main WWE roster.

The takeaway

A.J. Styles' transition into a backstage role with WWE represents an exciting opportunity for the company to leverage his decades of experience to help develop the next generation of Superstars. His commitment to scouting new talent and providing guidance to wrestlers on the main roster and in NXT could pay dividends in the years to come.