Report: WWE Hall Of Fame Announcement Was A 'Legitimate Surprise' To AJ Styles

After weeks of speculation that AJ Styles may look to continue his career outside the WWE bubble following his Royal Rumble loss to GUNTHER, WWE seemingly put that to bed last night on "Raw." Not only did WWE put on a celebration of Styles' career, with Styles giving a speech in front of the fans in Atlanta, Georgia, but The Undertaker also revealed that Styles would be joining Stephanie McMahon as the second member of the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class.

It was an announcement that caught many off guard, but perhaps no one more than Styles himself. Bryan Alvarez of F4WON reports that Styles wasn't clued in on the Hall of Fame induction, and thus was legitimately surprised when Undertaker made the announcement. Styles took the news well, immediately celebrating the announcement with his wife and kids in the ring.

Many will note that the announcement of Styles' Hall of Fame induction was very similar to how the announcement of McMahon's induction was handled back at Wrestlepalooza last September. Like with Styles, Undertaker made the announcement to McMahon, who was said to also be surprised by the news.

While McMahon and Styles have both been locked down for the WWE Hall of Fame, many questions still remain about the 2026 ceremony, as no details have been provided on where or when it will take place. Traditionally, WWE's Hall of Fame ceremony has taken place the Friday before WrestleMania, including last year's, which aired two hours after "SmackDown" at Fontainebleau Las Vegas' BleauLive Theater. With WrestleMania 42 set to take place in Las Vegas again, it is not out of the question BleauLive Theater could play host to the ceremony for a second straight year.