AJ Styles officially wrapped up his in-ring career at the WWE Royal Rumble last month, falling to GUNTHER in a match where his career was on the line. The conclusion of his journey came exactly one decade after his earth-shaking debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble, a symmetry that played a significant role in his decision-making process. Styles was recently a guest on Raw Recap, where he was asked why he chose to walk away at the Rumble instead of waiting for a potential final match at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
Styles was honest about his perspective on the current state of the industry’s biggest event. He noted that while WrestleMania remains a massive event, it no longer holds the same personal prestige for him that it once did. The former WWE Champion said a WrestleMania match often feels like it lacks the necessary build-up, especially after returning from an injury. Instead, he found more value in the sentimental attachment he has to the event that introduced him to the WWE fans.
“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 said.
The decision to retire in January gave Styles a massive spotlight during the Royal Rumble. Over the past year, Gunther has systematically removed icons like Goldberg and John Cena from the active roster, with Styles becoming his final conquest. Following the match, Styles teased leaving his gloves in the ring—a traditional signal of retirement—but ultimately chose to wait until Monday’s WWE RAW in Atlanta to perform the gesture in front of his home-state crowd.
The tribute on RAW provided one final surprise for the future Hall of Famer. After Styles delivered a moving speech thanking his family and his opponents from TNA and Japan, he was met by The Undertaker. The “Deadman” officially announced that Styles would be the second person inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame Class, joining Stephanie McMahon. Reports have since indicated that Styles was legitimately surprised by the announcement, as the company chose not to clue him in on the segment to ensure a genuine emotional reaction.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Raw Recap with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can watch the full tribute to AJ Styles on the WWE YouTube channel or stream the latest episodes of RAW on Netflix.
