Earlier this year, AJ Styles retired from in-ring competition following his loss to GUNTHER at the WWE Royal Rumble. Across his lengthy career, Styles had the opportunity to wrestle in front of crowds around the world, and on an episode of his "Phenomenally Retro Podcast," the WWE star was asked to name his favorite audience. Although it might seem like a difficult question on the surface, Styles had an answer almost immediately."I can't help but love them they made me feel like the biggest superstar on planet Earth France," Styles answered. "Unbelievable. ... They performed a soccer song that had 'Phenomenal' in it. They made me feel like a million bucks."Styles has performed in France numerous times, primarily during his WWE run. Though fans didn't know it just yet, he wrestled one of his last televised matches there, challenging Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship on "WWE Raw" when the promotion visited Paris on September 1, 2025. He came up short against Mysterio, but the night was a special one all the same."Do I wish I could have won in France? I believe the roof may have been blown off the place," Styles said a few minutes later, responding to another question. "It [would have] been nice but that wasn't what we needed at the time. I'm a team player so whatever we need, I'm gonna do."Along with France, Styles named the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and the United States as his other favorite places to perform.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Phenomenally Retro" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
