{"id":230230,"date":"2026-02-25T03:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T03:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/absent-aew-star-resurfaces-and-sends-emotional-message-to-aj-styles-after-his-retirement\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T03:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T03:01:08","slug":"absent-aew-star-resurfaces-and-sends-emotional-message-to-aj-styles-after-his-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/absent-aew-star-resurfaces-and-sends-emotional-message-to-aj-styles-after-his-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"Absent AEW star resurfaces and sends emotional message to AJ Styles after his retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5128989\" data-slug-id=\"2741145\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A former AEW champion sent a heartfelt message to WWE legend AJ Styles after the latter hung up his boots. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/goldust\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Dustin Rhodes<\/a>, one of the most experienced stars in the Jacksonville-based promotion, is currently out of action due to double knee surgery. The former TNT Champion has been absent since July 2025 and is looking to return soon. He had some good things to say about The Phenomenal One.<\/p>\n<p>Styles bid an emotional farewell to the WWE Universe in Atlanta this Monday. The global sports entertainment juggernaut ran a tribute show for the legend, where he gave an emotional speech before leaving his gloves in the ring. Surprisingly, The Undertaker made his way to the ring and announced that The Phenomenal One would be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/wwe\/news-breaking-the-undertaker-returns-to-wwe-makes-huge-announcement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Following the blockbuster farewell, Dustin Rhodes took to X\/Twitter and praised AJ Styles&#8217; contribution to the pro wrestling business.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Hey @AJStylesOrg, you made the wrestling world better. One hell of a worker, amazing Father and family man. Thank you sir for all of your contributions to our wonderful business. #ThankYouAJ,&#8221; Rhodes wrote.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>Swerve Strickland claims he is waiting for AJ Styles&#8217; AEW jump<\/h2>\n<p>In the past weeks, a lot of speculations have been floating around about whether The Phenomenal One would come out of retirement to become All Elite.<\/p>\n<p>While speaking on <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Rju8c3RQTDs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Monopoly Events<\/a><\/em>, Swerve Strickland claimed that AJ Styles was still healthy and therefore<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-aj-styles-gets-big-invitation-join-aew-top-star-we-re-open-waiting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\"> wanted the veteran to wrestle in AEW<\/a> before finally calling it a career.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;So, if he wants to take a chance and come over to AEW, which, he is more than capable and healthy, and in great shape\u2013mentally, hopefully, and physically, from what I view, to compete with All Elite Wrestling. Just know, we\u2019re all here open and waiting if he decides to make that jump,\u201d Strickland said.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the former WWE Champion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline bottom\" data-tab=\"bottom\">\n<p>Read all the hottest WWE news from Sportskeeda by choosing us as your preferred source. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=sportskeeda.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"bottom\">HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Sayantan Niyogi<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-absent-aew-star-resurfaces-sends-emotional-message-aj-styles-retirement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former AEW champion sent a heartfelt message to WWE legend AJ Styles after the latter hung up his boots. Dustin Rhodes, one of the most experienced stars in the Jacksonville-based promotion, is currently out of action due to double knee surgery. The former TNT Champion has been absent since July 2025 and is looking [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":230231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-230230","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/230231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}