AJ Styles Retires After Defeat to Gunther at Royal Rumble

2026-01-31 community

Indianapolis, 31 January 2026
Wrestling legend AJ Styles’ decade-long WWE career ended dramatically on 31 January 2026, when he was defeated by Gunther at Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. The 48-year-old passed out in Gunther’s sleeper hold, forcing the referee to stop the match under retirement stipulation terms. Styles’ ten-year WWE run included two WWE Championships spanning 511 days total.

A Decade of Excellence Comes to an End

The Phenomenal One’s journey in WWE began with a thunderous ovation at the 2016 Royal Rumble, marking the start of what would become one of the most decorated careers in modern professional wrestling [2]. Over his ten-year tenure, Styles established himself as a cornerstone of WWE programming, particularly on SmackDown, which became known as ‘The House That AJ Styles Built’ [4]. His impressive championship collection included two WWE Championships with a combined reign of 511 days, featuring a legendary 371-day reign that began in November 2017 [2][4]. Styles achieved Grand Slam Champion status by also capturing the Intercontinental, United States, and Raw Tag Team Championships during his WWE career [2].

The Path to Retirement Stipulation

The retirement match stemmed from events that unfolded following John Cena’s own retirement on 13 December 2025 [3]. After Gunther forced the 17-time World Champion to submit, he began gloating about his victory, claiming that Cena ‘tapped out like a b**ch’ [3]. This disrespectful behaviour prompted Styles to confront the World Heavyweight Champion, leading to a match on 12 January 2026 episode of Raw [1][2][3]. During that encounter, Styles appeared to make Gunther tap out to his signature Calf Crusher, but the Austrian wrestler managed to conceal his submission from the referee’s view [2][3]. Following the controversial finish, Gunther immediately attacked Styles and secured victory with a powerbomb [3]. Seeking redemption for this defeat, Styles challenged Gunther to a rematch, accepting the ultimatum that he would put his career on the line [2].

A Hard-Fought Final Battle

The retirement match, billed as Styles’ 370th televised match with WWE, took place as the second contest on the Royal Rumble card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [6]. From the opening moments, the crowd in the Riyadh Season Arena firmly supported the veteran wrestler [2]. Gunther utilised his considerable size advantage early in the contest, punishing Styles with devastating chops and a back suplex onto the commentary desk that left the challenger with a bloody gash on his left arm [2]. Despite the physical punishment, Styles mounted several spirited comebacks, targeting Gunther’s legs with his submission specialist approach [2]. The Georgian native successfully applied his Calf Crusher twice during the match, with Gunther being forced to drag himself to the ropes to break the hold on the second attempt [2]. Styles came tantalizingly close to victory when he countered a powerbomb attempt into his signature Styles Clash, though Gunther managed to kick out of the near-fall [2].

The Final Moments and Emotional Farewell

As desperation set in, Gunther resorted to underhanded tactics, utilising a referee distraction to deliver a low blow followed by a powerbomb [2]. When Styles kicked out of this combination, the frustrated champion unleashed a barrage of chops and lariats whilst taunting his opponent [2]. The decisive moment came when Styles attempted his signature Phenomenal Forearm finisher [2][4]. In a display of ring awareness, Gunther caught the veteran wrestler in mid-air and immediately transitioned into a sleeper hold [2]. Though Styles fought desperately, driving elbows into Gunther’s thigh, the champion adjusted his grip and applied a body scissor to prevent any escape [2]. Unable to reach the ropes and with his strength fading, Styles eventually passed out in the submission hold [2][6]. The referee checked his arm and, finding him unresponsive, signalled for the bell to end both the match and Styles’ WWE career [2]. Following the emotional conclusion, the Saudi Arabian crowd rose to their feet, chanting Styles’ name in appreciation of his decade-long contributions to sports entertainment [2]. In a poignant moment of uncertainty, Styles initially removed his gloves as if to leave them in the ring as a symbolic gesture, but ultimately chose to put them back on [2][6]. He offered his signature ‘P1’ hand signal to the audience one final time before his entrance music played and he departed through the curtain for the final time as an active WWE performer [2].

Bronnen

WWE wrestling AJ Styles retirement