A career-threatening match has officially been added to the Royal Rumble 2026 card following a heated confrontation between Gunther and AJ Styles on WWE Raw, which aired live from the SSE Arena.
Gunther opened the segment by addressing his victory over Styles from the previous week, claiming Styles made a “fatal error” by obsessing over the submission hold instead of remembering who he was facing. Gunther referred to himself as the “greatest wrestler in WWE” before announcing that he had officially entered the Men’s Royal Rumble Match. He reminded the Belfast crowd of his historic endurance in the match, citing his 2023 performance where he lasted 1 hour, 11 minutes, and 46 seconds.
Styles interrupted the promo and demanded a rematch at the Royal Rumble. Gunther initially rejected the idea, stating that he had no interest in pulling double duty on the same night as the Rumble match itself.
The exchange escalated quickly. Styles accused Gunther of ducking him and bluntly reminded the Ring General that he had tapped out in their last encounter, insulting him in the process. Gunther responded by returning to the ring and issuing a chilling ultimatum.
Gunther agreed to the rematch — but only under one condition: AJ Styles must put his career on the line. Gunther told Styles to “shut up and listen” before asking him whether this was a “hill worth dying on,” demanding an answer before the end of the night.
Later in the show, Adam Pearce, Raw’s General Manager, approached Styles backstage for his decision. Styles confirmed that the match was official, revealing that he had spoken with his wife before agreeing. According to Styles, her advice was simple: “Kick Gunther’s ass.”
Updated Royal Rumble 2026 Card
Event Date: January 31, 2026
Career-Threatening Match
AJ Styles vs. Gunther
If Styles loses, he must retire from in-ring competition.
Undisputed WWE Championship
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Winner of the No. 1 Contender’s Tournament
Contender to be decided at Saturday Night’s Main Event (January 24)
Fatal Four-Way
Randy Orton vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest vs. Sami Zayn
Men’s Royal Rumble – Confirmed Entrants
Cody Rhodes
Gunther
Jey Uso
Rey Mysterio
Dragon Lee
Penta
Women’s Royal Rumble – Confirmed Entrants
Iyo Sky
Rhea Ripley
Roxanne Perez
Liv Morgan
Raquel Rodriguez
Bayley
Lyra Valkyria
Asuka
With Styles’ career now hanging in the balance and Gunther asserting his dominance on multiple fronts, the Royal Rumble has taken on even higher stakes as the Road to WrestleMania officially intensifies.
