AJ Styles Teases Return, Matt Cardona Explains Pay Cut & WWE Rumors on WrestleMania 43 in Las Vegas

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

AJ Styles Teases Potential Comeback

WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles laid his gloves down in the ring and ended his career earlier this year, but it sounds like there's a chance he could lace up his wrestling boots once again.

During an appearance on What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, Styles was asked if he reserves the right to end his retirement if he ever wants to, and The Phenomenal One affirmed that he could make a comeback if he ever gets the itch to return to the ring.

"Yep. I mean, it's retirement. I think Michael Jordan said it once. It means if I want to come back, I come back," Styles told Rhodes (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News).

Styles made it clear that he's not announcing a return, but when Rhodes followed up by asking if Styles considers his career to be completely "over, over," the 49-year-old said, "I don't think I can. No."

Styles ended his career with a loss against Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble premium live event in his hometown of Atlanta in January. He said he was content with how his retirement played out.

"I was hoping that I would get to lay him down in Atlanta. Yeah. That's what I wanted to do," Styles said. "The Dirty South. But there's all kinds of things running through my mind, but I am certainly glad I got the opportunity to lay them down in Atlanta. That was a great moment for me and my family to be able to do that, and I felt good about it. I felt at peace with it, and so I'm glad it happened there."

Styles is one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation, so fans would surely welcome the chance to see him perform in the ring again.

Matt Cardona Reveals Why He Took Pay Cut to Rejoin WWE

Before returning to WWE in January, Matt Cardona was one of the biggest stars on the independent circuit, but he couldn't turn down the opportunity to chase his dream.

While speaking with Jeremy Jacobowitz, Cardona revealed that he accepted less money to return to WWE because of the opportunities that come with being part of the biggest wrestling company in the world.

"I made more money outside WWE than I ever made in WWE. Like, I technically took a pay cut to go back to WWE. You know what I'm saying? That's how much money I was making on the indies," Cardona said (h/t Derek Holloway of Ringside News). "But WWE, going back, is the ultimate opportunity. 'Cause if it works out, it'll be the ultimate raise, right? Like, I'm sitting here talking to you because WWE set this up."

Cardona called his initial release from WWE "the greatest day of my life" because it allowed him to develop a new version of himself as he rebuilt his Superstar resume.

"I wanted to create something new, and that's why I decided, 'Okay, I'm going to reinvent myself, and I'm going to change the Matt Cardona game. Yeah, hopefully WWE wants me back, but if they don't, that's fine,'" he said.

Cardona is currently recovering from a triceps injury, but it's clear that he's where he wants to be as he tries to work his way to the main-event scene in WWE.

Rumors on WrestleMania 43 Location

While the last two WrestleManias have been held in Las Vegas, WWE's biggest show won't be heading to Sin City for a third year in a row.

WrestleMania 43 is scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia, but many have wondered whether Las Vegas would serve as a backup location if there were any travel concerns.

However, Dave Meltzer stated in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Las Vegas is off the table in April 2027.

"Regarding rumors of Las Vegas as a backup plan, sources in Las Vegas who have basically tipped us off on all the Mania decisions as well as issues with the dates that had to be taken care of the past two years well ahead of time, said that the city does not have the dates available in April and is not able to spend the kind of money they have in the past to bring the event in," Meltzer stated (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News).

WWE has yet to confirm the date for WrestleMania 43, so plans could change if any potential issues arise. Per Carrier, Meltzer stated that "contingency plans would still be necessary given the uncertainty surrounding travel conditions, but the company intends to move forward unless the situation becomes too dangerous."

While Las Vegas provided a beautiful backdrop for WrestleMania 41 and 42, it's safe to say that WrestleMania 43 will have a different energy whether it's held in Saudi Arabia or somewhere else.