AJ Styles Hall of Fame Speech: Plans for Short & Sweet Induction

AJ Styles, the recently retired professional wrestler, indicated he intends to deliver a concise and inoffensive acceptance speech at his upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction. Styles revealed his approach during an appearance on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, expressing a desire to avoid alienating attendees celebrating other inductees.

“I’m gonna try not to piss everybody off who has reach there to see all the other inductions,” Styles stated. “There’s some guys that we’ve watched in the past and you’re going, ‘Holy cow.’ Everybody’s thinking the same thing, like, ‘Alright man, that was good, that was great.’ So I’m gonna try to make sure that I stay within the guidelines of that and not make people hate AJ Styles based on his Hall of Fame induction speech.”

Styles announced his retirement from in-ring competition following a loss to Gunther at the Royal Rumble. His induction into the WWE Hall of Fame was announced on the February 23rd edition of WWE Raw by The Undertaker, following a speech where Styles expressed gratitude to fans and family. He acknowledged his unlikely path to success, stating, “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.”

Since his retirement announcement, Styles has transitioned into a developmental role within WWE, focusing on scouting and mentoring emerging talent. This new position allows him to remain involved with the company after a celebrated career as a performer. A senior editor, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that such transitions are common for highly respected figures within the industry, allowing them to contribute their expertise beyond the ring.

The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, March 17th, at Dolby Live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.