Will “The Phenomenal One” live on past the Royal Rumble? Some fans certainly think so.
At the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble, AJ Styles has agreed to put his career on the line against “The Ring General” Gunther. On this week’s episode of Raw, however, Styles raised some eyebrows when he specifically remarked that Gunther is trying to “end [his] WWE career.”
Across social media, a number of WWE fans have drawn circles around Styles’ wording, with many interpreting it as a sign that, although he could lose to Gunther on Saturday, his overall in-ring career may not actually be over yet. After all, Styles has previously cited interest in wrestling in a TNA ring one more time.
For some fans, Styles finishing out his career in TNA Wrestling, where he enjoyed a meteoric rise, would be the most poetic route. Given his widespread connections in the industry, others believe that an All Elite Wrestling debut or New Japan Pro-Wrestling return could also be post-WWE possibilities.
“He’s going to end his actual career in TNA OR he’s going to do his rounds around the world. He’s got friends all over the place,” one fan wrote on Twitter/X.
“As much as I want Kenny Vs styles and Styles vs Joe, it makes the most sense for him to en is career in TNA,” wrote another.
AJ Styles could also do a globe-trotting retirement tour
In the eyes of one fan, Styles may have the bandwidth to appear in all three outside companies, plus CMLL, following a hypothetical loss to Gunther at the Royal Rumble.
“In my opinion, AJ Styles should be done with WWE completely after the Royal Rumble,” they wrote on X, “full 10 years with the first and last match at the same event feels like a complete story. Then he can go on to have matches everywhere else, just like the beginning of his career, from TNA to CMLL to NJPW. Also, he should participate in this year G1 Climax (even win it). And by September 2026, he joins AEW and ends his legendary career there by having dream matches with the likes of Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. [if Styles win the G1, his last match will be at the Tokyo Dome]”
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