AJ Styles May Wrestle Again, But Not In WWE

AJ Styles lost his match against Gunther at the Royal Rumble, and as per the stipulation, he has officially retired from in-ring competition.

After the loss, The Phenomenal One spent several moments in the ring as fans watched him struggle with the reality of hanging up his boots.

Styles initially appeared ready to leave his gloves in the ring, which is a traditional sign of retirement, but hesitated, put them back on, posed for the crowd, and then left.

That moment led many fans to believe that he might not be done with WWE. However, following the Royal Rumble, WWE personality Peter Rosenberg confirmed that Styles is indeed retired.

“So just to be clear, ’cause I know AJ went back into the ring, he went up there, took in a second round of applause. I spoke to AJ. It is very much the end. This is it for AJ Styles. He is not the kind of guy who goes back on his word when he says he’s having a match with his career on the line.”

AJ Styles May Wrestle Again In TNA or NJPW

On a recent edition of Busted Open, Tommy Dreamer and Dave LaGreca shared their immediate reactions to AJ Styles’ retirement. Dreamer echoed what many fans were thinking, suggesting that Styles may not truly want to retire and could eventually return.

When LaGreca asked if he believed Styles would wrestle again, Dreamer stated that there is a chance, adding that he would love to see Styles compete in NJPW or TNA.

Dave LaGreca: Do you feel you’re never gonna see AJ Styles wrestle again?

Tommy Dreamer: I do not. I would love to see AJ Styles go to New Japan. I would love to see AJ Styles go to TNA.

Here's the INSTANT Reaction to the retirement of AJ Styles from @THETOMMYDREAMER & @davidlagreca1 on #bustedopen247 pic.twitter.com/fSwkE3ZnBb

— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) February 1, 2026

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