AJ Styles’ WWE Future After Retirement Match Remains Unclear

AJ Styles’ WWE Career Ends at Royal Rumble—Future After Retirement Match Remains Unclear

AJ Styles’ legendary WWE run came to a dramatic end at Royal Rumble: Riyadh—but what comes next for The Phenomenal One is still a mystery.

Following his loss to GUNTHER in a career-threatening match on January 31, PWInsider.com reports that Styles is not currently scheduled to appear on this Monday’s Raw, leaving his post-match future with WWE—and in pro wrestling overall—entirely open-ended.

Styles had already made it clear that 2026 would be his final year in the ring. The Royal Rumble was long rumored to be a potential retirement stage, and WWE leaned all the way into that narrative. But after his emotional post-match moment—where Styles teased leaving his gloves in the ring, only to put them back on—the story doesn’t feel entirely closed.

His in-ring resume spans WCW, TNA, NJPW, ROH, and WWE, with titles and accolades everywhere he went: two-time WWE Champion, IWGP Heavyweight Champion, TNA World Champion, and one of the original pillars of TNA’s X-Division. He recently revisited rivalries with CM Punk and Shinsuke Nakamura, building momentum toward what many assumed would be his final WWE bout.

But here’s where things get interesting—Styles recently filed trademarks for his ring name and logo, sparking speculation that he may not be fully done with wrestling. Whether he appears in another promotion like AEW, works behind the scenes, or walks away entirely is still unknown.

Is this truly the end for AJ Styles? Or just the beginning of his next chapter—outside of WWE? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you want to see next.