WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles refuses to play the WWE-versus-AEW rivalry game, and he used Kenny Omega’s situation to explain why.
Asked whether ‘The Cleaner’ might one day jump to WWE now that he is once again AEW World Champion, Styles didn’t hedge or leave the door cracked. He simply questioned why any wrestler who helped build a company would ever walk away from it.
Styles made the comments on the Phenomenally Retro podcast, framing the answer around professional loyalty rather than speculation.
“Why? Why would you? Right? I mean, he’s on the board when it comes to AEW. He’s put his heart and soul into it. It’s like me. Would we ever see AJ Styles in AEW? Why?” Styles said.
For Styles, the principle is straightforward. When he signs with a promotion, his job is to give that company everything he has, regardless of how fans online rank one brand against another.
“I like the company that I work for, despite what everybody else thinks. I’m not, ‘Oh, there’s another company.’ Dude, my job is to do the best for the company that I’m working for. No matter which company I work for, my job is to do the best for it. And I’m going to do that. That’s just who I am,” Styles said.
Standing Up For The Locker Room, Not The Logo
Styles clarified that his loyalty isn’t about defending a corporate brand. He sees it as backing the wrestlers and crew he works alongside every week.
“Again, I’ve said this before, it’s not me protecting WWE. It’s me protecting the people that work for WWE, my peers, and the guys that I care about, the women that I care about that are there. So, I will defend them because I know they’re busting their tail to put on a great show,” Styles said.
That same respect is why he won’t tear down AEW to prove his commitment to WWE. He knows the talent there is putting in the same effort to build something of their own.
“And I’m not going to bash AEW because those guys are doing the exact same thing. They think they’re, you know, whatever they’re doing and trying to be different and all these things. I get it. I get it,” Styles said.
Styles added that there is nothing wrong with fans picking one show over another. The problem, he said, starts when enjoying one product turns into attacking the other.
“So, I’m not going to do that. That’s not what I’m about. I think these guys, to each their own. If you like one and don’t like the other, good. Good. But there’s no reason to just bash because they’re different shows. I’m not going to do that,” Styles said.
Why Styles Doesn’t See Omega Leaving
Omega is once again AEW World Champion after defeating MJF at AEW Dynamite: Beach Break on July 8, 2026. WWE previously made a serious push to sign Omega and The Young Bucks back in 2023, but The Elite re-signed with AEW.
Styles has drawn a direct parallel between his own commitment to WWE and Omega’s investment in AEW. Just as Styles has said he intends to finish his career in WWE, he believes Omega has built too much in AEW to ever consider a move.
For Styles, Omega heading to WWE remains a fan fantasy rather than a realistic scenario. To him, Omega has already chosen his side.