Backstage reports reveal the decision was made months in advance
Summary
– AJ Styles selected Royal Rumble as his retirement match months ago
– WWE planned for his exit well before WrestleMania 42 discussions
– Shinsuke Nakamura was privately told of the plan during the 2025 Japan tour
AJ Styles is not suddenly flirting with retirement at Royal Rumble, as the decision was already made behind the scenes months ago. According to PWInsider Elite, Styles had settled on the event as the place to end his career long before it became public discussion.
Royal Rumble was one of several options considered, but it was ultimately chosen as the stage. WWE had already prepared internally for Styles’ retirement, with plans in motion before WrestleMania 42 entered the picture.
The report adds new context to a now-deleted Instagram Story from Shinsuke Nakamura following their match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 24. Nakamura recalled a conversation from WWE’s 2025 Japan tour in which he directly asked Styles about retirement and was told the Royal Rumble would be the end.
Nakamura noted the signs were already there earlier on WWE’s Australia tour. During a house show in Melbourne, Styles addressed the crowd in what felt like a farewell speech, thanking fans in a way that hinted at closure rather than continuation.
Their shared history was also referenced, stretching back to Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016 and continuing through their WWE run. There was no official announcement or storyline attached, only mutual understanding and respect between the two veterans.
The stakes now feel heavier as Styles heads into the Royal Rumble against GUNTHER. With GUNTHER already having retired Goldberg and John Cena, Styles’ long-planned exit could end at the hands of another career-ending opponent.
If Royal Rumble marks the end, it will not be abrupt or emotional on the surface. It will be the final chapter of a career that had its ending chosen, accepted, and quietly prepared for months.
