Summary

AJ Styles believes the WWE Hall of Fame could feel more special if the ceremony were not held every year.

With Styles set to join the 2026 class alongside Stephanie McMahon, Demolition, Dennis Rodman, Sycho Sid, and Bad News Brown, he said the current format can be a tough balance, especially with the ceremony coming after SmackDown during WrestleMania weekend. WWE has already named Michael Cole and The Miz as hosts for the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony, but Styles questioned whether the event needs to stay on an annual schedule.

Quote from AJ Styles

Speaking on his Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles said:

"I really believe we could probably do the Hall of Fame every other year, or maybe put some years in between and make it more special. I think it’s going to be really difficult to do this every year. Just a suggestion. I don’t know if it’s about money. There is a reason WrestleMania is two nights [makes money sign]. One night WrestleMania was difficult because it was a lot of matches. You didn’t want to be the main event because everyone was cooked."

Styles later went on to say:

"Do we need it to go that long? I don’t know that we need to. I’m sure they give these guys times, ‘No longer than 30 minutes.’ An hour and a half later, ‘Alright. Wrapping it up.’ I understand it. I’m sure once I get up there, I’m thinking, ‘This won’t be long,’ but then you’ll talk about things that are important to you."

What AJ Styles' idea would change for WWE

AJ Styles' comments put the focus on how WWE presents the Hall of Fame during an already packed WrestleMania week. If WWE ever did move the ceremony to every other year, the immediate effect would be a smaller number of classes and a stronger spotlight on each induction. Just as importantly, it could ease the strain of placing a lengthy speech-heavy event at the end of a night that already includes SmackDown and WrestleMania-related obligations.

That does not mean a format change is coming, but Styles is speaking from the position of someone entering the Hall himself, which gives the suggestion more weight than a throwaway complaint about runtime.

Ceremony details

The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled to air at midnight ET.

Sources

AJ Styles while speaking on the Phenomenally Retro podcast