8-Time WWE Champion’s Career Allegedly Set To End

8-time WWE Champion AJ Styles is set to face Gunther at the Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 31, where he will put his career on the line.

On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, Styles cut a passionate promo in which he promised to do everything possible to defeat Gunther and avoid retiring from WWE at the Royal Rumble.

Last year, Styles stated that he planned to retire in 2026, which led many fans to believe that, much like John Cena’s farewell tour in 2025, AJ Styles would compete throughout 2026 before retiring at the end of the year.

Styles never gave a specific retirement date, adding to that expectation. However, once his match against Gunther was given a career-threatening stipulation, fans began to grow concerned.

As a result, speculation has increased that Styles may actually retire at the Royal Rumble, very early in 2026. While the WWE Universe is not ready to say goodbye to Styles so soon, Hall of Famer Bully Ray believes that the timing is right for AJ Styles to retire.

WWE Legend Says AJ Styles’ Time Has Come To An End

Speaking on the latest episode of Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray and Dave LaGreca discussed the upcoming Royal Rumble event. Legend Bully Ray stated that he feels Styles’ career will come to an end at the Royal Rumble.

He pointed to recent high-profile matches, such as AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at Saturday Night’s Main Event and AJ Styles vs. CM Punk on RAW, as possible signs that WWE is preparing to say farewell to Styles.

According to Bully Ray, these matches suggest that Styles may not receive an entire year-long retirement tour like John Cena, but instead conclude his legendary career at the Royal Rumble.

“We got to see AJ and (Shinsuke) Nakamura one more time. We got to see AJ and (CM) Punk for the first time. And now it’s time to say goodbye. The time is right for Gunther to take AJ Styles out. The time is right for Gunther to take AJ Styles away from the WWE Universe. The time is right for Gunther to retire AJ Styles,” Bully said.

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