At this past Saturday’s 2026 WWE Royal Rumble premium live event (PLE), AJ Styles faced GUNTHER in a singles match where his in-ring career was on the line.
During the match, Styles passed out while caught in GUNTHER’s sleeper hold. As a result of this stipulation, Styles is now forced to retire.
Former WWE star and executive Shane McMahon took to Instagram to pay tribute to Styles following his career-ending loss to GUNTHER. In his post, McMahon expressed his utmost admiration for Styles, calling him one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time.
McMahon wrote, “AJ Styles will go down in history as one of the greatest in ring performers ever! Thank you for your friendship and giving it your absolute best to entertain us all every single time you stepped through the ropes. You set the bar for current and future talent, let’s see if they can reach it. Congratulations on a Phenomenal career. @ajstylesp1 @wwe”
Styles and McMahon previously competed in a singles match at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, which Styles won.
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