During the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble premium live event, AJ Styles lost to GUNTHER in a singles match, marking the end of his illustrious in-ring career with the company.
The Phenomenal One was visibly emotional after the defeat. Following the match, Styles received a tremendous ovation from the fans. Initially, it appeared he was planning to leave his gloves in the ring as a farewell gesture.
However, Styles kept his gloves on and raised his hands to the fans once again. Just as he was about to exit the ring, he re-entered to gesture the “Two Sweet” sign, thanking the crowd one last time before finally leaving. Since Styles did not leave his gloves in the ring, many speculate that he might not be finished with in-ring competition.
Nonetheless, Peter Rosenberg, based on his conversation with AJ, expressed that this is unlikely.
According to PWInsider.com, the Royal Rumble was always targeted as a potential farewell event for Styles, as he had indicated his desire to retire in 2026.
It was also noted that Styles is not scheduled to appear on WWE RAW the following Monday.
The report mentioned that AEW would “bend over backwards” to sign Styles once he is free from WWE, but it remains unclear if he will wrestle again.
Recently, Styles filed trademarks for “Phenomenal AJ Styles” and “P1,” leading fans to speculate that he plans to wrestle elsewhere after leaving WWE. However, Dave Meltzer reported in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the trademarks were likely filed to secure control over his branding for appearances, merchandise, and other projects outside the ring.
Styles began his WWE career just over 10 years ago at the same event, the Royal Rumble.
During his time with WWE, he became a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time Intercontinental Champion, a three-time U.S. Champion, and a four-time tag team champion with various partners. Most recently, he held the World Tag Team Titles with Dragon Lee during his final WWE tag title run.
