AJ Styles has elaborated on his reasons to retire at the Royal Rumble as opposed to the more traditional route of WrestleMania.
Styles brought his WWE in-ring career to an end in January 2025 when he lost to Gunther at the first Premium Live Event of the year. With Styles’ career on the line, the 2-time WWE Champion lost the match after passing out to Gunther’s sleeper hold.
Following the match, many were stunned to see that Styles ended his career so early into the year. Given that the likes of Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Steve Austin all had their retirement matches at WrestleMania, some expected to see Styles compete one final time in Las Vegas. However, according to Styles, the Rumble meant so much more to him.
While speaking on the Raw Recap, Styles noted that Mania had lost some of its previous appeal, adding that the Royal Rumble was a more appropriate show to mark the occasion:
“It was coming back from an injury to WrestleMania to a match that, to me, didn’t have much build. WrestleMania, I’m sorry to say, used to be the most prestigious PLE, but to me, it’s kind of lost its luster a little bit. As far as the Royal Rumble, that’s special to me because that’s where I made my debut. To be able to end where I started is poetic.”
Styles made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble, and went on to have a decade-long career in WWE.
AJ Styles Will Be Honoured At WrestleMania
On the February 23 Raw, Styles made his first live appearance since retiring at the Royal Rumble. Following an emotional video package and Styles addressing the fans, the roster made their way onto the stage. Shortly afterwards, The Undertaker made a surprise appearance on the show. The Deadman then let Styles know that he would be going into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class.
The other announced inductee in the 2026 class is Stephanie McMahon.
Featured image: WWE
