AJ Styles’ WWE Career May Not Be Over, Says Triple H

AJ Styles has officially retired from WWE tonight after losing his final match to Gunther at Royal Rumble 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Styles had hinted towards the end of last year that he’d retire in 2026.

Many fans expected that Styles would have a year-long retirement tour, similar to how John Cena retired last year. However, that was not to be as he put his career on the line against Gunther.

Despite wrestling an amazing match with the Ring General, Styles fell short to Gunther, and it ended up costing him his career. WWE head of creative, Triple H, offered some positive news for Styles’ fans, though.

AJ Styles retired from in-ring competition at WWE Royal Rumble

Speaking on the post-Royal Rumble show, Triple H offered an update on Styles’ WWE future. He was asked by Big E if there were any conversations with AJ Styles regarding a coaching career.

We’ve had a lot of conversations on the off chance that this all came down. Obviously, we expected it later in the year. We had a lot of conversations about it. AJ is one of those people who absolutely want to give back and be a part of this business. I don’t want to speak for him. Other conversations he had with me, he made it very clear that he was just done with the in-ring. There is a point where you just reach in your career where you say, ‘I do not want to do this anymore.’

When your heart goes, no matter how good you are, like, he hasn’t lost a step. But when you just say I’m just at a place where I don’t want to do this anymore, it is time. Before you get hurt. Before you get told you are not allowed to do this anymore. I am hoping that he will contribute again because he is one of the most influencial people in the business and one of the greatest minds in the business.

I think when you see somebody like what Shawn Michaels is doing at NXT, that is a path of a career for AJ Styles beyond this period that he is in. For me right now, this is not the time to talk about it. This is an emotional night for him and his family, for everybody involved. It is let him breathe. It is let him take the time that he wants to take to think about what’s next for him and we’ll have that conversation. ” Triple H said.

Following his loss to Gunther, AJ now has his future wide open in front of him as he gets to decide what to do next after his in-ring career came to an end tonight.

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