Summary

AJ Styles said a recent visit to a WWE EVOLVE taping gave him a fresh look at what life after wrestling could eventually look like.

Speaking on his podcast, Styles said he stepped in to help a producer during the taping, even taking on the job of calling a match to television despite having no previous experience doing it. He said the experience made him feel like a fan again, and it also left him more open to the idea of one day running a show.

Quote from AJ Styles

Styles described how he wound up helping behind the scenes at the taping:

"EVOLVE show, I was able to see that and work with them. I wasn't an agent or a producer, as we call it now. But, one of our producers needed a little help because he was doing a lot. So I was like, 'Dude, if you want me to, I'll do it. I have no problem doing it,' and that includes putting the headset on, and calling the match to the TV which I had no idea how to do. They came to me and was like, 'Actually dude, you did a really good job because you didn't say too much. You said enough, you told us where to be, what's about to happen, where you need cameras.' I was like, 'Oh man.' Made me feel like a million bucks, and dude, I'm watching this match and I didn't realize I became a huge cheerleader, because I'm like, 'Go! Yes! Yeah! Oh! Pin! Pin! Pin!' I'm talking to the TV. Nobody can hear me. You could see me reacting but, I got to be a fan again, and they had a great match. Man, I was super happy with that. I'm biased because I'm the one that helped with it... They're indie guys so they've been there and done that a couple of times but this time it's on television. They're hitting their time perfectly. They did a lot of stuff really well."

Styles later spoke about whether that kind of work could become part of his future:

"No, no. I said, 'Listen, I don't wanna be an agent. That's not what I wanna do.' Then they go, 'Yeah? Well, Shawn said the same thing, Shawn Michaels said the same thing. He did the exact same thing you did. Now, he's running NXT.' So, if the opportunity comes, wherever we are, and the possibility of running a show sounds pretty awesome and exciting. You know, Undertaker's doing that for AAA... He's very smart and understands that very well and it's cool to see what Triple H is doing and how big it is right now. I've been to a show. It is good. It's really well done."

What AJ Styles' EVOLVE Experience Could Mean

AJ Styles making clear that he does not currently want to be an agent matters because WWE still trusted him enough to put him on a headset during an EVOLVE taping. That says plenty about how the company views his wrestling mind, even before any formal post-ring role is on the table.

His comments also stand out because he did not shut the door on a bigger job forever. If Styles stays interested in projects like EVOLVE, WWE may already have another veteran it can lean on for talent development and creative guidance once his in-ring run eventually winds down.

Sources

AJ Styles on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast