WWE

Shinsuke Nakamura May Have Spoiled AJ Styles' WWE Retirement

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Rick Ucchino | Last updated Jan 25, 2026 1:29 PM ET

One of the most phenomenal professional wrestling careers in modern history may be entering its final week.

AJ Styles will face Gunther on Saturday, January 31 at the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. If he loses, he'll be forced to retire and become the third WWE Hall of Famer or future WWE Hall of Famer to fall victim to the newly proclaimed 'Career Killer.'

With the opportunity to wrestle his longtime rival one final time dwindling, Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Styles to a match at Saturday Night's Main Event in Montreal. The Phenomenal One would score the victory with a Styles Clash, and afterward, the King of Strong Style took to social media to reflect on what surely was a memorable night.

WWE

Will AJ Styles retire at the Royal Rumble?

The since-deleted post on his Instagram, however, did seem to confirm the outcome of Styles' match against Gunther this weekend.

"During last year’s Australia tour, at a house show in Melbourne, AJ gave a speech after the match. Listening to it, it was clear he was thanking the fans. But somehow, it also felt like he was hinting that retirement might not be that far away.

Nakamura continued.

The tour continued to Japan, and before the shows there, I asked him something... 'When are you going to retire?' He answered, 'The Royal Rumble. I’ve already decided.' Whether I actually said it out loud or just thought it for a split second, I’m not sure. But I remember it clearly, 'Before you retire, I want to wrestle you one more time.' AJ nodded."Shinsuke Nakamura on Instagram

| Shinsuke Nakamura just confirmed that AJ Styles is indeed retiring at the Royal Rumble next week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“I asked him, ‘When are you going to retire?’ He answered, ‘At the Royal Rumble. I’ve already decided.’” pic.twitter.com/6gCvPGzRgc
— EliteRockerz (@EliteClubS0B) January 25, 2026

This year's Royal Rumble will mark 10 years in WWE for Styles. He made it known last year that 2026 would be his final year in professional wrestling, but most fans would likely say they had hopes that this run would last at least until WrestleMania 42 in April.

It is entirely possible that Styles changed his mind between when he spoke with Nakamura and now, so take this new information with a grain of salt.

AJ Styles has been announced for Monday night's episode of WWE Raw in Toronto, where he'll address Gunther and the WWE Universe, potentially for the final time on the company's flagship show.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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