Quick Summary: AJ Styles appeared on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast and opened up about his upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction speech. He said he wants to keep it short and respectful of everyone else being inducted that night, thank the people who matter most to him, and tell the fans how much they mean to him. Styles was informed of his induction by The Undertaker on the February 23 edition of Raw and has since taken on a new backstage role scouting and mentoring talent. The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on Friday, April 17 at Dolby Live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
AJ Styles on His WWE Hall of Fame Speech: Short, Sweet, and From the Heart
AJ Styles has thought about his WWE Hall of Fame induction speech, and his approach says a lot about the kind of person he is.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, the Phenomenal One made it clear that he has no interest in being that guy. You know the one. The inductee who keeps going long after the crowd has mentally checked out, burning through goodwill one overstayed minute at a time.
Styles wants none of that. He said he plans to keep his speech short and sweet out of genuine respect for everyone else being honored that night and for the fans who came to celebrate all of the inductees, not just him.
Here is what he said directly:
“I’m gonna try not to piss everybody off who has come there to see all the other inductions. 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.”
He continued:
“Short and sweet, I think, is the best way to do it. I don’t know exactly how it’s gonna be or what I’m gonna say, but I know I’ve got a lot of people that I need to thank. I’m gonna try to do that and tell the fans how much I appreciate them for getting me this far because, listen, 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.”
That last part carries real weight. Styles is not someone who takes his career for granted. He spent years grinding through the independents and international promotions before WWE came calling. He knows exactly what the road looked like before it led to a Hall of Fame stage in Las Vegas.
How AJ Styles Found Out He Was Going Into the Hall of Fame
Styles learned about his induction on the February 23 edition of WWE Raw in Atlanta, Georgia. The moment was delivered by The Undertaker, which made it feel as significant as the announcement itself.
The reveal came after Styles had delivered an emotional promo thanking his fans and family. It was a fitting setting for a career that was built almost entirely on the connection he developed with wrestling audiences across two decades and multiple continents.
AJ Styles Has a New Role in WWE
Since retiring from in-ring competition following his loss to Gunther at the Royal Rumble, Styles has not stepped away from wrestling entirely. He has taken on a new position within WWE focused on scouting and mentoring up-and-coming talent.
It is a natural fit. Few people in the company understand what it takes to develop from a young prospect into a main event performer better than someone who lived that journey himself. The next generation of WWE talent could do a lot worse than having the Phenomenal One in their corner.
WWE Hall of Fame 2026: Date, Venue, and Details
The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place on Friday, April 17 at Dolby Live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ceremony is part of WrestleMania 42 weekend, with WrestleMania 42 itself scheduled for April 18 and April 19 at Allegiant Stadium.
AJ Styles joins a Hall of Fame class that will be celebrated in front of what is expected to be one of the largest WrestleMania weekend audiences in recent memory.
Coverage by Vijayabalaji, WWELiveTV.com. Covering WWE since 2011.
