AJ Styles shares his exciting new role in WWE after teaming up with two of the company’s biggest stars
AJ Styles has shared some exciting news about his new role with WWE after he retired from wrestling earlier this year.
He retired after a match against Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble and was honored by being added to the WWE Hall of Fame in April. After retiring, Styles signed a new contract to work behind the scenes, mainly with WWE’s NXT brand, helping develop new talent.
During his wrestling career, Styles only fought twice on NXT because he moved straight to the main roster after joining WWE in 2016. Now, he’s been helping some of the company’s rising stars grow and improve.
Recently, Styles said his job has changed, and he is now working as a match producer. He helped produce the main event on Tuesday’s NXT show, which featured NXT Women’s Champion Kendal Grey against Lola Vice.
The match was a no-rules fight called the Underground, with no ring ropes, no disqualifications, and other wrestlers around the ring. On the latest episode of the ‘AJ Styles Show,’ he praised Grey and Vice, calling them “unbelievable,” and shared what it was like to co-produce his first WWE match.
“There were two of us, Johnny Moss and me,” Styles said. “We didn’t have to do much because these women are so talented. But if you watch closely, you might spot a little bit of AJ Styles in there. The way this match was set up and the way they performed it was perfect.”
NXT’s women’s division has been getting lots of praise lately, with many wrestlers moving up to the main WWE shows. Lola Vice, whose real name is Valerie Loureda and is a former MMA fighter, looks like she could be next after spending over three years on NXT.
WWE is even planning to trademark “Vice City,” which is Lola’s catchphrase. It’s also the name of a popular video game setting from Grand Theft Auto, but the two companies shouldn’t clash because WWE’s trademark is for wrestling and live shows, not games. However, this might affect the WWE 2K video game series, where her catchphrase might not be allowed in her entrance or commentary.
Lola explained her name choice in 2022: “I always thought about Miami Vice because I’m the first Cuban American woman in WWE and I was born and raised in Miami. That felt like me, so I wanted to represent it. I thought, ‘Why not Lola Vice?’”