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He closed the chapter on his wrestling career in 2026 and has now become involved with WWE in a behind-the-scenes role. AJ Styles began a rivalry with Gunther at the start of 2026. This led to a match between them at the 2026 Royal Rumble PLE in Saudi Arabia with Styles’ career on the line.
The Phenomenal One delivered a spectacular showing; yet Gunther managed to make him pass out of the sleeper hold, and he lost the match.
I think Michael Jordan said it once. It means if I want to come back, I come back”, said AJ. In the same interview, The American Nightmare asked about his retirement moment, and Styles said he was glad he got to lay down his gloves in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. He called it a great moment for himself and his family and said he felt at peace with it. Styles said, “I was hoping that I would get to lay him down in Atlanta. Styles later said he wanted to retire in his hometown, not Saudi Arabia.
AJ Styles is one of the most talented and respected in-ring veterans of all time. However, the Phenomenal One’s new statement about his in-ring status came as a major shocker. AJ Styles recently sat down with Cody Rhodes for an interview on his podcast, ‘What Do You Wanna Talk About. Rhodes asked him the big question if he was truly done with in-ring competition. This led Styles to say that if he wanted to return to the ring, he could. “Yep. I mean, it’s retirement. Yeah. That’s what I wanted to do. The Dirty South. But there’s all kinds of things running through my mind, but I am certainly glad I got the opportunity to lay him down in Atlanta. That was a great moment for me and my family to be able to do that, and I felt good about it.I felt at peace with it, and so I’m glad it happened there. After the match, Styles took off his gloves, only to put them back. He then appeared on RAW in Atlanta a few weeks later and left his gloves and jacket, cementing his retirement. With Styles hinting at a potential in-ring return, it will be interesting to see when and where it could happen in the future.