WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross believes AJ Styles deserved a stronger retirement moment at the 2026 Royal Rumble.
At the Royal Rumble, AJ Styles ended his in-ring career after Gunther put him to sleep with a sleeper hold. The finish felt emotional, but one detail stood out—Styles did not leave his gloves in the ring.
That choice made fans question whether this was a full retirement or just the end of his WWE run. Styles later shared his thoughts on the speculation during the What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon podcast. He added to the uncertainty by saying, “Never say never.”
On his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said the moment felt underwhelming. He explained that a star like Styles should have received a bigger send-off. “I was a little underwhelmed. I thought it should have been a bigger dog and pony show. That’s just me, but that’s how I felt when the match was over.”
Ross also shared his thoughts on Styles’ future. He does not believe Styles will wrestle full-time again. He added that calling another AJ Styles match would be enough to bring him back to commentary.
“Oh, hell yeah, I’d be great. That certainly give me ample encouragement to return to the road to know that I got to call an AJ Styles TV men event when I got back. But I do think he’s done as a full timer. If I were him, I’d pick my spots and work only when I wanted to and where I wanted to with who I wanted to. He’s got. He’s earned that.”
The WWE Hall of Famer also said he does not expect WWE to let Styles wrestle for other companies because of the risk of injury. “I don’t see how the hell WWE could risk, you know, get hurt in somebody else’s ring.” [H/T: wrestlingnews.co]
Read More: AJ Styles’ WWE Royal Rumble Exit Sparks Concern About His Career Ending
