AJ Styles addressed The New Day’s departure from WWE during a recent edition of his “Phenomenally Retro” podcast, expressing mixed emotions about the trio’s exit from the company.
“Man, it kind of bums me out a little bit, right? Because everybody loves them,” Styles said when discussing Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E leaving WWE.
“I’d have no doubt that they have a plan. That’s for sure. They’re very smart. They’ll figure something out—what the next step is.”
Styles praised The New Day as “freaking brilliant guys” and “awesome guys,” adding that “these are the guys you wanna hang out with.” He acknowledged uncertainty about the specifics of their departure, including whether a 90-day non-compete clause applies.
“I wonder if they have the 90-day clause? I would assume. I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s a release. I’m sure they do. If they asked for their release, does it still — I don’t know,” Styles said.
During the same podcast episode, Styles also discussed helping out at a WWE EVOLVE taping, where he assisted a producer by calling a match to the television truck. He described the experience as making him feel “like a million bucks” and noted he became “a huge cheerleader” while watching the performers work.
When asked about potentially becoming an agent or producer in the future, Styles said that’s not currently his goal, though he acknowledged the possibility could change over time.
Check out AJ Styles’ Phenomenally Retro Podcast, dedicated to retro video games, professional wrestling, and more.