WWE’s Gunther breaks silence with 3 words after retiring AJ Styles

The legendary career of the “Phenomenal One” AJ Styles came to an end at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble at the hands of Gunther.

The “Ring General” was not shy about letting everyone hear it. He posted an image of himself with Styles in a sleeper hold during their match at the Royal Rumble, captioning it, “Put to sleep.”

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Unlike John Cena, Styles didn’t tap out. He passed out and lost the match via technical submission, ending his WWE run after a decade.

AJ Styles retired at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble after his match with Gunther

Styles put his career on the line against Gunther at the Royal Rumble. Their feud began after Gunther beat Cena and retired him. 2025 was a big year for the “Ring General,” who eliminated Cena and Goldberg earlier in the year.

They had their first match during the Jan. 12, 2026, edition of Monday Night RAW. However, Gunther used underhanded tactics to pick up the win. He tapped out on Styles away from the referee’s view, leading the “Phenomenal One” to let go of his submission hold. The “Ring General” took advantage, and he won the match.

However, Styles would not let this be the end of their feud. He challenged Gunther to another match at the Royal Rumble on Jan. 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, putting his career on the line. Styles was unable to beat Gunther.

Now, it’s unclear if Styles is actually retired or not. He could just be done with WWE and join another promotion, such as AEW, or return to TNA, where he made a name for himself years ago.

Either way, his career appears to be over for the time being. Styles ended his WWE career as a two-time WWE Champion, three-time United States Champion, and a one-time Intercontinental Champion. He also won tag team gold with the likes of Omos and Dragon Lee.

The post WWE’s Gunther breaks silence with 3 words after retiring AJ Styles appeared first on ClutchPoints.