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Several big matches will be taking place this weekend at WWE Clash at the Castle. Following a big match at the PLE, could a major superstar leave the promotion and head to AEW? This would be AJ Styles.
The Phenomenal One has been the talk of the town after he pulled off a fake retirement ploy to blindside Cody Rhodes and reveal that he wanted another shot at the world title. The American Nightmare obliged and even named a major stipulation, as he made this an "I Quit" match.
At Clash at the Castle, the two will face off in a PLE for the second time. They shared the ring at Backlash last month, with AJ Styles coming up short then. If he loses again, could he quit WWE altogether and look for a way out?
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His WWE contract is set to expire within this year
The former WWE Champion's contract is set to run until 2024, following an extension he signed two years ago. There are no details regarding when exactly the deal is set to expire.
He signed with the company in 2016 and has re-signed on multiple occasions despite external interest.
AEW has approached The Phenomenal One in the past
A few years ago, AJ Styles revealed that he was approached by the Young Bucks, representing AEW, who were interested in signing him to their promotion. At the time, he was up for renewal with WWE.
While he had talks with them, they were not enough to convince the former United States Champion to join AEW.
"Yeah, there were talks. Look, it's a business. My contract in WWE was going to expire, and there were talks happening. The Bucks are my buddies. We never discussed money or anything, but there were talks about coming in. Again, it's all business." [H/T Wrestling Inc]
There were even plans in place for The Phenomenal One's Dynamite debut had he signed with them.
AJ Styles has been hinting at running out of time
Before he pulled off his fake retirement, Styles often hinted at contemplating hanging up his boots and how he felt his time to close this chapter of his life was coming.
Although all those moments ended up being a ruse, he could take all of this to heart should he suffer another heartbreaking loss.
At 47, AJ is still a few years younger than other veterans like Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, and Rey Mysterio, who still compete at the highest level. So, it remains to be seen how much he still has left in the tank.
Some stars have gone on to try their hand with another promotion before closing their careers.
At this point, AJ Styles is unlikely to depart from the promotion. However, in wrestling, you can never say never; there could still be a slim chance this becomes a reality.
