Dream Match: AJ Styles Vs. MJF

It's been a little over two weeks at the time of writing since "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles bid farewell to the wrestling business at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. Styles passed out in Gunther's sleeper hold, bringing his 27 year career to an end in the process, but unlike names like John Cena and Hiroshi Tanahashi who have retired over the past few months, fans around the world aren't buying the idea that Styles has wrestled his final match.

Whether it's the fact that he decided to not leave his gloves in the ring after his loss to Gunther, or the fact that he can still perform at the highest level, or even the fact that there are still some loose ends that have yet to be tied up, Styles' retirement isn't one that people are believing. This has led to the question of where "The Phenomenal One" might end up if he isn't finished wrestling just yet, and while the idea of having one last run in TNA has been suggested, the company's current working relationship with WWE would only lead to people thinking that he would make a return there.

That then leaves AEW, the one major American wrestling company he has yet to work for. The AEW roster is full of performers he has a long history with like Samoa Joe, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks, as well as wrestlers he has crossed paths with if only for a brief moment like a Will Ospreay or an Andrade El Idolo. However, there are a lot of people on the AEW roster who Styles has never crossed paths with, and of all the people on that particular list, current AEW Men's World Champion MJF is certainly near the top.

We've already put the spotlight on potential showdowns with Kyle Fletcher and Hangman Adam Page, and now it's time for the "Salt of the Earth" to step up to "The Phenomenal One" in our hypothetical booking arena. So without further ado, here is why you should be excited about the potential dream match that is AJ Styles vs. MJF.

AEW currently has two main strengths right now, it's pay-per-views, and it's world title picture. 

While the jury is still out on whether the shows are too long, there is no denying that AEW pay-per-views have become must-see events that have people talking for days, and sometimes weeks after they take place. There's always a high-profile moment at some point on every show, and many of the biggest moments in AEW history have taken place in and around the main event scene. So far in 2026, the AEW Men's World Championship has been the prize that everyone has been after (as it should be, it's the world title after all), with MJF having to fight off everyone from Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega, Samoa Joe, both members of Brodido, Andrade El Idolo, and Hangman Page. The title picture is hot right now, and that could be the perfect stage for an AJ Styles debut.

Easily the most iconic ending to an AEW pay-per-view is when Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson showed up at the end of All Out 2021, and AEW has the opportunity to do something very similar with some of their upcoming shows. Over the past few weeks, video packages have been played on AEW TV promoting the pending return of Will Ospreay who has been out of action after having neck surgery. It's very clear that AEW wants Ospreay back in time for when the company returns to Wembley Stadium in August, and his return will be met with an overwhelming reception whenever that may be.

With that said, every AEW pay-per-view will now also have that looming expectation of whether Styles will finally become "All Elite." What AEW could do is have MJF retain his title in the main event of a pay-per-view, let's use Hangman Page for example as he is challenging for the title at Revolution. You could have MJF cut a promo or try some shady business after the bell by attacking his opponent, only to be interrupted with the lights going out. I know the blackout tease is played out, but the silence and anticipation being broken up by "Elevated" and seeing Ospreay come out would be electrifying. 

Where does Styles factor into all of this? Ospreay wouldn't be anywhere near medically cleared, so having MJF attack Ospreay in his weakened state would be something that gets real heat from the fans, and then it happens. I don't know whether he'd use a new song or his themes from either ROH or NJPW, but that's when AJ Styles arrives to save the day and declare himself as the next man to challenge MJF. Ospreay has already made it clear how much he wants Styles in AEW so to align them at the start would make sense, plant seeds for their eventual match, and it gets Styles in the ring with the AEW Men's World Champion on his first night in the company. Simple, yet effective booking.

Before we talk about what a match between AJ Styles and MJF would actually look like, we've got to talk about the promos that would lead up to it. Styles was never known to be a promo guy, but he can get people going when he is given something that has a lot of meat on the bone. As for MJF, you already know what he's capable of, and the insults he would throw at Styles have probably been written already by the "Salt of the Earth." It might not be relevant to the story, but you can guarantee MJF would make fun of Styles for his flat earth theories, his soccer mom haircut, or if he really wanted to go for a deep cut, the Claire Lynch storyline from TNA.

For the match itself, it would most likely be great, but it would also be a great showcase for MJF and one of his own biggest strong points, making other people look good. I know, he is guilty of putting himself over at the sacrifice of having a well put together match at times, but he has matured greatly in the seven years he's been in AEW, and over the past two years especially, MJF has proven that when paired with the right people, he can put other people over as well. He did it for Will Ospreay, Hangman Page, he even did it for Mark Briscoe, MJF would be one of those people that bring the best out of someone like Styles this late on his career, which would only back up MJF's claims of being a generational talent.

We talked about it in relation to Styles potentially wrestling Kyle Fletcher or Hangman, but Styles can't do half of the things he's remembered for in TNA, ROH, or NJPW. If anything, the AJ Styles we've seen in WWE over the past decade isn't watered down because of the company, it's watered down so Styles can preserve his body and live to fight another day, especially in the past few years. Sure, he can have a hard-hitting, NJPW-style war with people on occasion, but he likes to wrestle in a way where he can get out of bed in the morning and MJF would actually be the perfect person to paired up with for a match like that.

MJF is a big fan of old school, less is more storytelling, meaning that Styles would likely be dying to get in the ring with someone like that. Styles wrestling someone who makes the little things mean more and not forcing him to go hell for leather from the opening bell, he'd bite your hand off for a deal like that right now. I'm not saying Styles can't wrestle the "AEW style" whatever that may be, but MJF is someone who can basically work any style and make it look good, or in the case of wrestling Styles, it would probably be phenomenal.