At the 2026 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles will put his career on the line against Gunther. Styles confirmed to the WWE Universe last October that this year will be his last as an active in-ring performer.
Speaking to Tokyo Sports back in September, Styles revealed that he’s planning to hang up his boots in 2026. He would make it official before his match against John Cena at Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia.
Fast forward to the first week of the year, The Phenomenal One began a feud with Gunther, who was bragging about making Cena tap out in his retirement match. This led to a match between Styles and Gunther on the January 12 episode of RAW, which The Ring General won.
Last week on RAW, Styles pointed out how Gunther tapped out during their match and asked for a rematch. The Career Killer then challenged Styles to put his career on the line at the Royal Rumble, which he accepted later that night.
Latest Report on Styles’ WWE Future
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select first reported back in September that AJ Styles’ current WWE contract expires sometime in February 2026. It aligns with the current stipulation of his match against Gunther, in which he has to retire if he loses at the Royal Rumble.
According to Mike Johnson of PW Insider, Styles’ contract is indeed expiring, and his last match is at the Rumble against The Ring General. There are no plans for the two-time WWE Champion to be a part of WrestleMania 42.
Plenty of people backstage have also reportedly known that Styles is planning to retire in early 2026, with the Rumble being a real possibility.
This year’s event takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, so if it’s the end of Styles’ career, he’s expected to earn one large payday for performing at the Kingdom.
Shinsuke Nakamura Seemingly Spoiled Styles’ Retirement
In a now-deleted post on his Instagram stories, Shinsuke Nakamura shared his conversation with AJ Styles back in October during their tour of Australia and Japan. Styles told him that he’s planning to retire, and it will be at the Royal Rumble.
“During last year’s Australia tour, at a house show in Melbourne, AJ gave a speech after the match. Listening to it, it was clear he was thanking the fans. But somehow, it also felt like he was hinting that retirement might not be that far away. Nakamura continued. The tour continued to Japan, and before the shows there, I asked him something… ‘When are you going to retire?’ He answered, ‘The Royal Rumble. I’ve already decided,'” Nakamura wrote, via Rick Ucchino of Sports Illustrated.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Nakamura’s story was legitimate, and it was one of the reasons why their match at Saturday Night’s Main Event happened.
Meltzer added that WWE isn’t trying to “work” the fans, and the plan has always been for Gunther to continue retiring legends and beat Styles at the Royal Rumble. While plans can always change, the veteran wrestling insider doesn’t see it happening this Saturday.
Latest Report Sheds Light on AJ Styles’ WWE Future Ahead of Royal Rumble