During AJ Styles‘ tenure in TNA Wrestling, a persistent rumor circulated claiming he was responsible for ending Christy Hemme’s in-ring career. The speculation arose from a storyline involving Hemme, leading fans and online forums to mistakenly link the end of her wrestling days to training with Styles. Recently, Christy Hemme addressed and dispelled these rumors directly, clarifying the origin of her retirement.
Christy Hemme Shares Details About Her Career-Ending Injury
In a detailed interview on The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val podcast, Christy Hemme recounted the incident that forced her to retire. She described moments in the ring where she suffered severe neck trauma after being thrown into the turnbuckle multiple times, causing numbness from the neck down. Hemme explained,
“I remember I was in a match with Kong, I got thrown into the turnbuckle and going numb from the neck down. Remember it like, ‘What was that? Oh my gosh.’ And then I came out of it, and then I got thrown again in the turnbuckle and it happened again. It was stuck a little bit longer.”
—Christy Hemme
Following these episodes, Hemme reported her symptoms to the doctor Brad Holman, which led to an MRI revealing two spinal protrusions pressing against her spine. She remarked on the severity of the injury and why she had no choice but to stop wrestling immediately,
“And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just remember thinking, this is really serious.’ And so when I came backstage afterwards, I told Brad Holman, this is our doctor… I said, ‘I’m feeling this thing in my neck or my head or my back.’ And that’s when I went and got my MRI, and I had two protrusions in my spine that were sitting on my spine. You can’t wrestle with that.”
—Christy Hemme
She strongly emphasized that the injury was not related to any training by AJ Styles as some had suggested,
“Like that’s the kind of thing where if I had been thrown a little harder, which is not my opponent’s fault by the way… but if I had been thrown harder, it could have severed my spine and I’d be paralyzed. So I had to stop completely. And so that’s how it happened. I don’t know why we undramatized that story and made it a training story.”
—Christy Hemme
Randy Orton Reflects on AJ Styles’ Impact Following WWE Retirement Storyline
After AJ Styles’ loss to GUNTHER in the 2026 Royal Rumble, WWE scripted an end to Styles’ career within their storyline framework. Following this, prominent WWE wrestler Randy Orton expressed admiration and respect for Styles through heartfelt tributes. Orton recalled the excitement around Styles’ arrival in WWE and highlighted his exceptional abilities as both an athlete and a leader, saying,
“I remember when he first came to WWE, we were all so excited because we knew that he was one of the best of us. Everybody was familiar with his work from TNA and Japan, and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with AJ. You know, I think that anyone in the back would agree that he’s one of the best wrestlers, pure wrestlers, entertainers, sports entertainers, whatever you want to call it, of this generation. You couldn’t say enough about how great he is in the ring.”
—Randy Orton
Orton also praised Styles’ character beyond the sport, focusing on his personal qualities and leadership within the locker room,
“But when it comes to outside of the ring, what I really respect about him is the kind of husband and the kind of father he is, the kind of locker room leader he is. He definitely leads by example. He’s straight-edge, clean-living, just an amazing man in general, and it was a privilege to work alongside AJ. I hope that we keep in touch. AJ, if you’re listening to this, man, I love you, buddy. I wish you the best, and thanks for the good times inside the ring and out.”
—Randy Orton
AJ Styles’ Wrestling Journey and Legacy
AJ Styles began his wrestling career in 1998, competing with numerous independent promotions before gaining wider recognition with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. From 2002 through 2014, he rose to prominence during his time in TNA Wrestling, followed by significant accomplishments in WWE. His career is marked by a reputation as one of the most skilled and influential professional wrestlers of his generation.
The recent clarification by Christy Hemme about her injury removes unfounded speculation from fans and wrestling forums, restoring focus on the true challenges wrestlers endure. As Styles’ in-ring career narrative concludes in WWE, his contributions both inside and outside the ring continue to resonate with peers and supporters alike.
