The Big Picture

AJ Styles is officially done with WWE. But in professional wrestling, retirement is rarely permanent. Chris Jericho recently revealed that AEW pursued Styles, openly speculating about his next move. If Tony Khan secures the ultimate free agent ahead of AEW Dynasty, it changes the geometry of the entire roster.

We aren't looking for a nostalgia tour. We want the ruthless Styles who can still go thirty minutes in the main event. The current AEW product can be messy, and adding another veteran is risky. Here are the ten moments that must happen if he jumps ship.

10. The Chris Jericho Confrontation

Jericho is talking to the media, so he has to be the first one punched. This ranks at number ten because it's simply the required appetizer. Jericho’s current run is wildly uneven, relying too much on extended faction warfare that drags down Dynamite's pacing. Styles interrupting a drawn-out Jericho monologue is the easiest booking decision in the world.

We don't need a classic between them in 2026. We need Styles to hit a quick Phenomenal Forearm to establish his arrival. It shuts Jericho up instantly and signals that Styles is here for business.

9. A Bullet Club Reunion Gone Wrong

Jay White and Juice Robinson are established in AEW. The temptation to throw Styles into a Bullet Club nostalgia act will be high, but Tony Khan must resist it. This places higher than the Jericho angle because it establishes his actual character direction. The moment should be White offering the Too Sweet gesture, only for Styles to lay him out with a Pele Kick.

We have seen enough rehashed faction drama. Styles operating as a bitter lone wolf who resents the current generation is a much better story. Let White bump around for him in a violent television match.

8. Elevating the TNT Championship

Styles doesn't need to chase the world title immediately. Dropping him straight into the TNT Championship picture instantly legitimizes a belt that has felt like an afterthought. This ranks at number eight because stabilizing the midcard is more urgent than throwing him into main event chaos. Imagine Styles holding open challenges on Collision every Saturday night.

He could work with guys like Daniel Garcia, forcing them to deliver the best matches of their careers. It gives Collision a definitive focal point. It also protects the veteran from the crowded title scene until the timing is perfect.

7. The Samoa Joe Heavyweight Clash

We saw it in TNA a lifetime ago, and briefly in WWE. Seeing it in AEW carries a heavier weight because Joe is operating as a terrifying killer right now. This lands at seven because the built-in history guarantees a violent television rating. Styles is the undersized, resilient babyface who refuses to stay down.

The moment Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch and Styles brutally fights to the ropes is booking 101. Joe's current run often lacks a babyface who can bump convincingly for his power offense. Styles throwing himself around for Joe's suplexes would be spectacular.

6. A Bryan Danielson Technical Clinic

Bryan Danielson is rapidly winding down his career. A proper, high-stakes match with Styles in AEW is a remaining white whale for wrestling purists. This outranks the Joe match purely based on the sheer technical perfection these two can deliver. Two veterans who defined the independent scene clashing on pay-per-view is easy money.

They don't need dangerous high spots or interference. They need twenty-five minutes of brutal limb targeting, slick reversals, and painful submission exchanges. The negative here is the obvious risk of injury at this stage, but if managed correctly, it is a guaranteed critical success.

5. Putting Over Swerve Strickland

Swerve Strickland is the established future of the company, while Styles is the legendary past. If Styles actually comes to AEW, his primary job should be solidifying the current main eventers. This breaks into the top five because AEW must prioritize its homegrown stars. Swerve hitting the House Call on Styles is a literal passing of the torch.

Styles shouldn't just lose; he needs to get dismantled in the final five minutes. It shows the AEW roster isn't just a soft landing pad for former WWE guys. It proves AEW's heavily pushed talent operates on a different level.

4. A Collision with Darby Allin

Darby Allin takes bumps that take years off his life. Styles knows exactly how to base for reckless high-flyers without killing them. This beats out the Swerve match because the visual contrast between Allin's chaos and Styles' precision is unmatched. The moment Allin goes for a Coffin Drop and Styles catches him mid-air into a Styles Clash is the viral clip AEW desperately needs.

It is dangerous as hell. It is also guaranteed to get a million views within an hour. The build would be fascinating, with Allin's nihilism clashing directly with Styles' old-school arrogance.

3. The Kenny Omega Encounter

Omega has dealt with injuries and his schedule remains erratic. But if fully healthy, Styles versus Omega is a marquee match that easily sells out arenas. This takes the bronze medal because the history is built-in from their New Japan Pro-Wrestling days when Omega violently took over the Bullet Club. The moment Omega hits the V-Trigger and Styles kicks out at exactly 2.9 seconds will blow the roof off the building.

The match needs to be violent and definitive. No comedy spots, no Elite interference. Just two guys trying to end careers.

2. The Will Ospreay Staredown

This is the money match fans have debated for years. Will Ospreay is the current benchmark for in-ring performance, and Styles was exactly that guy a decade ago. This narrowly misses the top spot because it requires zero build to sell completely out. The moment they cross paths backstage should be treated like a heavyweight boxing weigh-in.

No words are necessary. Just Ospreay looking at Styles, acknowledging the ghost of his own aerial offense. When they finally wrestle, it shouldn't be a clean technical showcase; it needs to be a brutal sprint with Styles trying to ground the younger star.

1. The Dynasty Debut

It is March 27, 2026, and AEW Dynasty is exactly three days away in Kansas City. The ultimate moment isn't a match; it's the physical arrival. This takes the number one spot because a botched debut ruins everything else on this list. The lights go out in the arena, the unfamiliar intro music hits, and the live crowd explodes.

Tony Khan has heavily botched debuts before with weird pacing or flat commentary. This needs to be completely perfect. Styles walks out and makes his violent intentions clear without saying a word. If they drag it out with cryptic video packages, they will ruin the momentum.

Honorable Mentions

A random, hard-hitting banger with PAC on Dynamite. Teaming with the Young Bucks for a one-off trios match, only to violently turn on them after the bell. Finally having a proper, uninterrupted singles match with Rey Fenix without commercial breaks. The possibilities are truly endless, assuming the front office can actually get a contract signed.