During a recent appearance on the Talk’N Shop Podcast, retired WWE Superstar AJ Styles shared his thoughts on wrestlers he wished he had the chance to face, highlighting current WWE roster members Penta and Rey Fenix. Styles expressed his admiration for their talent and regretted missing the opportunity to step into the ring with them, emphasizing the lasting impression they made on him.
Discussing Penta, Styles explained,
“Penta’s up there. Yeah, just because I never had the opportunity to do it, you know, and he’s such a great guy. He’s so good. I would love to been able to do that. But there’s there’s always going to be a couple guys that be like, ‘Oh man, dang it. I missed that one. I missed that one. I missed that one.’ Yeah, Rey’s definitely another one I wish I would have been able to get in the ring with. Like, those guys are freaking — they’re so freaking good.”
—AJ Styles, WWE Superstar
Guidance for Emerging Wrestlers from AJ Styles
Styles also offered advice for younger performers entering professional wrestling, stressing the importance of asking questions regardless of experience level. He noted that no inquiry is ever wrong as learning is continuous, and even veterans hold a fan’s perspective at different stages of their career.
He recalled an incident with his son at an independent wrestling match, which reminded him how unfamiliar audiences can be with moves that veterans may take for granted. Styles stated,
“So it there’s not any wrong questions. It doesn’t matter how new you are to this entertainment business. Just ask the question, dude. Because sometimes I don’t think like a fan, and at that point in their career, they still are. We all are. So, just ask questions because there was a time not too long ago, like maybe a couple months ago, I took my son to an indie match to just watch. Yeah. And a move was being done and I knew what was going on. Yeah. But he had no idea because they hadn’t done it before. He hadn’t seen it before. And it would just dawned on me like, ‘Oh, wow.’ That, you know, a lot of times we forget that there’s always new fans out there.”
—AJ Styles, WWE Superstar
He further expanded on the nuances often overlooked during matches, sharing,
“So we have to sometimes when they don’t know our stuff make sure we do it at least once so that it can be counted later on. You know we forget about like a simple up and over. It’s because before that, he threw us in the corner and freaking tore our guts out by putting a shoulder in it. So the next time it happens if the up and over happens and he takes the buckle, and then we can get on it. That’s you know what I’m saying? That’s the things we forget about the small things.”
—AJ Styles, WWE Superstar
Upcoming Honors for AJ Styles
AJ Styles is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The ceremony will take place on April 17 at Dolby Live within the Park MGM resort in Las Vegas, marking a significant milestone in Styles’ storied wrestling career.
This induction not only celebrates his personal achievements but also highlights his lasting influence on the wrestling community, including his mentorship of upcoming wrestlers and reflective perspective on the sport.
