Archive · 1 Feb 2026
AJ Styles Retires After Royal Rumble Loss
AJ Styles, a famous wrestler, had his last match at the Royal Rumble event.
He lost to Gunther, which meant he was retiring from wrestling.
People noticed he didn't leave his gloves in the ring, which made them think he might wrestle elsewhere.
Triple H, a big boss in WWE, said AJ is really done with wrestling but might do other things in the sport.
Some fans think AJ might go to other wrestling places like TNA or AEW for a retirement tour.
AJ Styles lost to Gunther at the Royal Rumble, ending his in-ring career.
Styles initially took off his gloves to leave in the ring but put them back on, sparking speculation.
Triple H confirmed Styles' retirement, stating he is done with in-ring wrestling.
Styles and Triple H had discussed his retirement, with it initially expected later in the year.
Fans speculate Styles might go on a global retirement tour, including stops at TNA, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and AEW.
- Who
- AJ Styles, Gunther, Triple H
- What
- AJ Styles' retirement from in-ring wrestling
- When
- During the Royal Rumble event
- Where
- At the Royal Rumble event
- Why
- AJ Styles decided to end his in-ring career
- Wrestler
- AJ Styles
- Opponent
- Gunther
- Event
- Royal Rumble
- Retirement Status
- Confirmed
- WWE CCO
- Triple H
- Retirement Match
- Expected later in the year
- Future Plans
- Potential global retirement tour