WWE has announced a special tribute for AJ Styles in Atlanta on RAW next week. The Phenomenal One appeared to have wrestled his final match at the Royal Rumble 2026 in Saudi Arabia against Gunther. Since Styles lost, this was supposed to be his final match as an active competitor.
However, the Phenomenal One put his gloves back on, and his future with WWE remains uncertain. Nonetheless, despite the uncertainty surrounding his status, the company has announced a special tribute for the legendary star. Here, we take a look back at AJ Styles’ “phenomenal” WWE career.
AJ Styles Debuted Directly on the Main Roster
Before debuting stars on the big leagues on RAW or SmackDown, WWE likes to test them out on NXT, which is the definitive proving ground. Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor were all major stars before they landed in the Stamford-based promotion, but the company still had them spend time on NXT.
Styles’ longtime rival and fellow TNA stalwart, Samoa Joe, also won multiple championships on the black and yellow brand. However, the Phenomenal One received a free pass to the main roster. The Ace of TNA made his shocking debut in the 2016 Men’s Royal Rumble match, stepping inside a WWE arena for the first time.
This was a rarity back in the day. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and all the “Four Horsewomen” had to prove themselves on NXT before being called up to the main roster. WWE had faith in Styles, who was an established veteran. The Phenomenal One paved the way for others like Dominik Mysterio, Logan Paul, and Penta, who made the trip straight to the main roster.
2016 Belonged to the Phenomenal One
As if his stunning debut wasn’t enough to blow everyone away, Styles ended up having one of the best “rookie” years. It is worth noting that the Phenomenal One was far from a rookie, but it was still his first year in WWE.
Nonetheless, new territory didn’t stop Styles from “beating up John Cena,” winning the WWE Championship, and making SmackDown Live the “House that AJ Styles Built.” At SummerSlam 2016, the Phenomenal One pinned Cena clean in the middle of the ring, and a month later, he defeated Dean Ambrose to win the top prize in sports entertainment.
His incredible title run dominated the latter half of 2016. Styles put his title on the line against a diverse array of wrestlers, ranging from Dean Ambrose to Baron Corbin to James Ellsworth.
2016 may have been his most successful year, but the Ace of TNA continued his momentum. In 2017, he added a few United States Championship titles to his resume and ended Jinder Mahal’s reign of terror atop the WWE mountain. After dethroning Mahal in November 2017, Styles went on to have one of the most memorable World Title reigns in recent memory, holding it for more than a year.
During his 371-day reign as WWE Champion, Styles put SmackDown back on the map with a series of compelling feuds against Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rusev, and Samoa Joe.
