AJ Styles fakes retirement announcement

For a couple of weeks now, Styles has made a big deal out of ‘not having much time left’, and it seemed like that may have come to a head tonight.
Styles interacted with Nick Aldis, LA Knight and Cody Rhodes backstage, before being joined by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson for an in-ring segment.
Styles noted that when Nick Aldis told him he would have to go to the back of the line to earn another championship shot at Cody Rhodes, Styles realized he perhaps didn’t have that kind of time left in his career.
He went on to share a sentimental moment with the crowd as well as the Good Brothers as it seemed as though he was saying goodbye to the WWE, the fans and his career.

Nearly tearful, AJ Styles shared that his son recently graduated from high school, and he felt pride and joy at being able to participate in all of the festivities but there was also an element of hollowness.
He wondered how many of these events had he already missed? Noting that perhaps it was time to become a ‘Phenomenal Dad’, he called out Cody Rhodes to the ring.
Saying that he had told Cody about the moment in advance, he wanted to thank him for giving him one of the best matches in his entire career at WWE Backlash in Lyon, France.

Styles would go on to note that while SmackDown was still the ‘House that AJ Styles built,’ he was looking to give the keys to Cody.
While Rhodes held up Styles’ arm as the crowd cheered, they made nearly a full circle around the ring before a plot twist hit the emotional moment.
AJ Styles attacked Cody Rhodes as he waged a vicious assault on the Undisputed WWE Champion, ending in delivering a Styles Clash off the steel steps onto the floor at ringside.
With Gallows and Anderson fending off referees and Nick Aldis who attempted to intervene in the attack, the show went off the air with Cody Rhodes splayed out on the floor.