AJ Styles lost to Gunther at the WWE Royal Rumble 2026 in his retirement match. Styles was confused and unwilling to acknowledge the outcome, but he soaked in the adulation of the Saudi crowd. The Phenomenal One was about to take his gloves off, but kept them on and walked out of the ring.
His status has remained uncertain, but the general belief is that the Ace of TNA is done with in-ring competition in WWE. Nonetheless, a section of the fanbase is sincerely hoping that the Phenomenal One has not hung up the boots. For these hopeful fans, there are some reasons to believe that AJ Styles may not have actually retired from active competition.
#3. AJ Styles Didn’t Take His Gloves off at the WWE Royal Rumble 2026
In the world of combat sports, taking off your gloves and ornaments is a sign of retirement. At WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, John Cena took his wrist bands and shoes off before leaving the squared circle.
The Phenomenal One didn’t take his gloves off at WWE Royal Rumble, which was a subtle hint that he may not have been done with wrestling. In fact, he put them back on after appearing to take them off. Furthermore, Styles looked regretful and confused throughout. The Ace of TNA wasn’t ready to leave the ring, which speaks volumes about his passion to continue wrestling.
