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Gunther Retires AJ Styles With a Punishing Victory at the WWE Royal Rumble

The "Career Killer" has done it again. Gunther defeated AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble, forcing him to retire from WWE.
Rick Ucchino|
AJ Styles
AJ Styles | Netflix

A phenomenal career has come to an end, at least in WWE.

Whether rumors of AJ Styles lacing up his boots for TNA, AEW or any other rival promotion in 2026 ultimately prove to be founded, we know one thing for certain at this point in time, he has wrestled his final match for WWE.

After retiring both Goldberg and John Cena within the last year, Gunther gave his new "Career Killer" moniker more credence Saturday afternoon when he defeated Styles in front of a stunned crowd at the Royal Rumble.

Styles nearly won the match on multiple occasions. He scored a really close two-count after hitting the big man with a power bomb. He then went outside and delivered a springboard 450 splash off the top rope and followed that up with the Styles Clash, but the Ring General again kicked out.

Gunther was able to go back on the offensive after he hit a low blow behind the referee's back. He connected with a big power bomb, but Styles kept his career alive with a last-second kick out.

The former World Heavyweight Champion then relentlessly attacked AJ with several brutal-sounding chops and kicks in the corner of the ring. Multiple times the referee tried to pull him off, but Gunther just kept coming. Styles dug down deep and fought back with a flurry of his own chops, but he made a mistake when he attempted a Pele Kick.

The Ring General locked Styles in a sleeper hold and took him down to the mat. AJ gave it everything he had to get to the bottom rope, but he passed out before he could get there and the referee called for the bell.

After the match was over, Styles received a standing ovation from the fans in Riyadh. He went to take off his gloves and leave them in the ring, but at the behest of the crowd, he put them back on and hit his signature pose one final time.

AJ left the ring briefly, but then rolled back in to deliver one final farewell to the WWE Universe before he finally took his last long walk to Gorilla.

AJ Styles walks away from WWE after 10 years with the company

AJ Styles
AJ Styles | WWE

After making a name for himself wrestling for TNA, ROH, NJPW and independent promotions across the globe, AJ Styles finally made his way to WWE on January 20, 2016 when he entered the Royal Rumble from the No. 3 position.

He lasted nearly half an hour in his debut match and blew away the expectations of WWE management at the time. By the summer, Styles found himself in the main event scene and captured his first WWE Championship when he defeated Dean Ambrose, now known as Jon Moxley in AEW, at WWE Backlash.

After dropping the title to John Cena the following January, the culmination of one of his top feuds in WWE, Styles would go on to capture the company's top prize a second time in November 2017. His second reign as WWE Champion lasted more than a year before he dropped the belt to Bryan Danielson ahead of Survivor Series 2018.

Styles now walks away from WWE as a Grand Slam Champion and a no doubt future Hall of Famer. What is in doubt is whether or not his wrestling career is officially over. There has been speculation that he could work a few more matches this year for the likes of TNA and AEW. All we can do is wait to see what his next moves are going to be.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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