We are only one day away from the 2026 Royal Rumble, where one man and one woman will earn the opportunity to challenge the champion of their choosing at WrestleMania 42. Both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches will feature thirty participants, with only one person from each contest being crowned the winner. But for some fans, it isn’t the Royal Rumble bouts catching their attention, but rather the career of AJ Styles.
This Saturday, “The Phenomenal One” puts his legacy on the line in a high-stakes encounter against “The Ring General” Gunther, the man who has recently embraced a cold new nickname: “The Career Killer.”
Despite Styles stating in multiple interviews that 2026 will definitely be his final year in the ring, many fans are heartbroken at the prospect that his incredible career could end so early into the new year.
Allen Neal Jones began his wrestling training in 1998 under Rick Michaels, making his debut for National Championship Wrestling that same year. He adopted his iconic ring name, AJ Styles, a year later.
To support his family during the difficult early years, he took on various side jobs, including delivering bottled water and working as an ambulance driver. In early 2001, Styles’ hard work paid off when he signed with WCW, where he was paired with Air Paris to form the tag team known as “Air Raid.”
Unfortunately, his time there was cut short later that year after WWE purchased the company. In 2002, Styles famously turned down a developmental contract offer from WWE, despite impressive tryout matches. He prioritized his personal life, declining the deal because he didn’t want to relocate to Cincinnati, Ohio, and wanted to support his wife through her college education.
Styles instead joined TNA, where he rose to acclaim from 2002 to 2013, becoming one of the promotion’s cornerstone stars and achieving historic accolades. He was the inaugural X-Division Champion, the first Grand Slam Champion, and the first Triple Crown Champion, a feat he remarkably achieved five times. His five-star classic match against Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels is considered by many to be the greatest match in TNA history.
Following his departure from TNA due to a contract dispute, Styles joined Japan’s NJPW, where he became the leader of the Bullet Club and won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his very first match. He became the first American to hold that prestigious title since Brock Lesnar in 2005. Following his massive success in Japan, WWE reached out to several high-profile wrestlers, with Styles being at the top of the list.
Styles finally made his long-awaited WWE debut on January 24, 2016, at the Royal Rumble as the third entrant. Since joining the company, he has become the first and only superstar to be a Grand Slam Champion in both TNA and WWE. He was the first person to win the WWE Championship outside of North America and has delivered numerous historic matches, including being hand-picked by The Undertaker as his final opponent at WrestleMania 36.
From his shocking Royal Rumble debut to headlining WrestleMania, AJ Styles has spent his WWE career defying expectations and delivering classics. To celebrate his incredible tenure, we’re counting down the top five matches that proved he truly is “The Phenomenal One”.
