AJ Styles got to experience what life as a “normal” person would be like, and he says that will make it easy to retire when the time comes.
Styles missed six months with a broken ankle he suffered at a live event in December. He made his return to WWE in April, and he has regained his place as a featured member of the roster. However, the time on the shelf gave the 46-year old a taste of what life after he retires would be lke.
Speaking with Alistair McGeorge of Metro, Styles described how it would be easy for him to hang up his boots, as he looks forward to spending time with his family.
“I think that we bust our tail in this ring so that we can enjoy spending time that we have lost for so many years. That’s what retirement’s all about. Once it’s over, I think it’s gonna be easy for me to go, ‘Okay! I did what I was supposed to do! I fought as hard as I could for as long as I could to the point where I hopefully didn’t embarrass myself.'”
“At the same time, the fruits of your labor are where you’re gonna enjoy that now, that’s what it’s all about. No more missing birthdays, high school, elementary school stuff. I’m gonna be there as a father to see that. I’ve missed enough.”
Styles also detailed how he enjoyed having a relatively normal schedule, which stood in stark contrast to his lifestyle as a WWE superstar who is constantly on the road.
“I started acting like a normal human being, and that’s not such a bad thing,” Styles said. “Waking up in the morning instead of sleeping till 12, going to bed at a regular time instead of staying up till 3 o’clock in the morning.
‘Because that is the way it’s been for so long for me because I’ve been on the road. It’s hard to wind down after you’ve been driving after a show, so you’re up till 2 or 3 in the morning. It was nice! I think my wife actually enjoyed me going to bed at a regular time and all that, waking up with her – like I said, being a normal human being.”
While the former world champion enjoyed this aspect of his absence, he made it clear that he was inspired by spending time at the WWE Performance Center and working with the young talent there.
“Being down at the Performance Center getting cleared and reevaluated, being there two times in the months that I was trying to recover from my injury, it really inspired me to see how excited they were to get better,” Styles said.
“Being able to be with them and show them little tricks that I’ve found out over the years and share that information was a blessing. It inspired me to make the rest of my career the best it possibly could be.”
Seth Rollins recently reflected on his match with Styles at WWE Money in the Bank. Click here to see what he had to say.
