AJ Styles’ WWE Retirement Gets Upstaged by John Cena’s Tour

Two all-timers intersecting on their way out is supposed to be must-see stuff. Instead, AJ Styles dropped the R-word and the whole thing got swallowed by John Cena mania. Let’s lay out what happened, where, and why it barely made a ripple.

AJ Styles says he is done in 2026 - and it barely registered

Right before his high-stakes match with John Cena at Crown Jewel 2025, Styles sat down with Michael Cole and said he plans to retire next year. That should have been a headline-grabber for weeks.

AJ Styles says he plans to retire in 2026.

Instead, the expected buzz never really materialized. Timing is a big part of it: Cena’s on a full-on farewell tour, steamrolling the conversation wherever he goes.

Tokyo should have been a moment. It wasn’t

The most obvious example of this getting lost in the shuffle: WWE’s recent Supershow in Japan. Styles was the standout on a card loaded with names, and they even gave him a quiet nod that this might be his last time wrestling in the country. And yet... crickets.

• The show was at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
• Styles beat Kofi Kingston, then grabbed the mic for the crowd. Shinsuke Nakamura translated his speech.
• After the match, Ivar and CM Punk carried Styles out while the heels stood outside the ring acknowledging what was framed as his last appearance in Japan.
• Here’s the weird part: very few people were actually in the building to see that moment, and WWE didn’t market the Supershow like a farewell stop. A photo of the scene circulated from @KotasWrestling on October 18, 2025, crediting @clespo_hirota.

If WWE had simply told fans this was AJ’s likely final bow in Japan, that building would have felt different and Styles’ impending retirement would already have heat behind it.

Cena’s tour is sucking up all the oxygen

Cena’s in the final stretch of his goodbye run with just a few appearances left. Next up is Survivor Series: WarGames in San Diego, and then the closer on December 13 at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, DC, at Capital One Arena. The demand is huge: Wrestling News reported 40,000 people were already in the virtual queue during pre-sale for the finale. No surprise the spotlight has been welded to him.

Their shared history and a very specific tribute

Cena vs. Styles has delivered over the years, full stop. But even when they’re in the ring together now, the talking points veer elsewhere. WWE - under Triple H - highlighted Cena breaking out several different moves against Styles recently, including Bray Wyatt’s Sister Abigail as a tribute to Wyatt, who would have turned 38 this year. It was a cool, inside-the-ropes touch that also ended up outshining the fact that Styles had just said he’s leaving the business in 2026.

So what now?

WWE can keep riding the Cena farewell wave - understandable - or it can make room for AJ’s goodbye to breathe. The Japan stop showed there’s real emotion there if they actually frame it that way. Styles is one of the best to ever do it. If this is the final lap, promote it like it matters. Because it does.