Last week on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at the Royal Rumble PLE, Gunther defeated AJ Styles to retire him from professional wrestling. However, following the finish of the match, Styles opened his gloves and kept them in the ring before taking them up and leaving with them.
The open-ended finish left fans guessing about Styles' next move. Recently, appearing on What's Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon, Styles was asked about the significance of the gesture and if he ever plans on coming back.
“I don't know. I don't know. Never say never, right? That's the saying. I think everybody's allowed at least once to come out of retirement. I'm not saying that I'll do it anytime soon. What if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once, you never know. So, there'll be a time when the gloves never go back on. It may be now, but we'll see,” Styles replied.
“The Phenomenal One” also noted that his second-oldest son is currently training with him to become a wrestler, while his daughter also watches pro wrestling. Wrestling since the late 90s, Styles boasts one of the most decorated pro-wrestling careers of all time, with stints and championship wins across multiple promotions.
AJ Styles' former rival Shane McMahon pays tribute to the retired star
Just hours after AJ Styles' WWE retirement, his former rival Shane McMahon took to social media to pay his tribute to the legend. Writing a heartfelt note, McMahon celebrated Styles' career publicly.
“AJ Styles will go down in history as one of the greatest in ring performers ever! Thank you for your friendship and giving it your absolute best to entertain us all every single time you stepped through the ropes. You set the bar for current and future talent, let’s see if they can reach it. Congratulations on a Phenomenal career.”
