AJ Styles Picked Royal Rumble As His Retirement Match Months Ago

AJ Styles isn’t just threatening to retire at Royal Rumble—he already made peace with walking away months ago. Behind the scenes, the decision to end his career at WWE’s premium live event in Saudi Arabia was already made well in advance.

According to PWInsider Elite, Styles picked Royal Rumble as the place for his final match, and WWE had been preparing for his retirement before WrestleMania 42 ever came into focus. The Rumble was one of a few options discussed, but it eventually became the one.

This news puts Shinsuke Nakamura’s now-deleted Instagram Story in a whole new light. After facing Styles at Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 24, Nakamura posted a diary-style reflection that included a conversation from WWE’s 2025 Japan tour. While they were traveling to a meet-and-greet, Nakamura asked Styles when he planned to retire—and Styles told him directly: Royal Rumble.

Nakamura admitted he saw it coming even earlier. During a house show in Melbourne on WWE’s Australia tour, Styles had given an emotional speech to the crowd that already felt like a goodbye. Nakamura said it felt like AJ was thanking the fans and subtly signaling the end. That’s when Nakamura told him he wanted one more match before it was over. Styles nodded.

The post also looked back at their shared history, from Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016 to their time in WWE, emphasizing the mutual respect between them. There was no press release, no promo package, no angle—just a quiet confirmation that AJ’s end date had been decided months ago.

Now the Royal Rumble match has even more weight. Styles isn’t just putting his career on the line against GUNTHER—he’s already mentally checked out. And GUNTHER’s earned the “Career Killer” nickname for a reason. He retired both Goldberg and John Cena last year. AJ could be next.

If this really is the end for Styles, it won’t be a sudden exit—it’s been planned, accepted, and set in motion behind the curtain for a long time.

Do you think AJ Styles is really done after Royal Rumble? Or will he pull off one last miracle and survive the Career Killer? Let us know what you think in the comments.