AJ Styles has long confirmed that 2026 will be his last year as in-ring performer. The exact date for his retirement match, however, has remained up in the air. Thanks to a new Instagram story, that may no longer be the case.
Following his loss to Styles at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, fellow WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura revealed a diary entry he had penned about his history with Styles, including a conversation they had during an overseas live event tour in 2025. According to Nakamura, it was then that Styles disclosed the date and location for his in-ring retirement, the 2026 Royal Rumble on January 31 in Saudi Arabia.
"During last year's Australia tour, at a house show in Melbourne, AJ gave a speech after the match," Nakamura wrote in the now-deleted post. "Listening to it, it was clear he was thanking the fans. But somehow, it also felt like he was hinting that retirement might not be that far away. The tour continued to Japan, and before the shows there, I asked him something. We were in a van on the way to the meet and greet. I asked him, 'When are you going to retire?' He answered, 'The Royal Rumble. I've already decided.' Me... ...!!! Whether I actually said it out loud or just thought it for a split second, I'm not sure. But I remember it clearly. 'Before you retire, I want to wrestle you one more time.' AJ nodded."
Last week, WWE announced that the Royal Rumble may indeed mark Styles' last match as "The Phenomenal One" has agreed to put his wrestling career on the lineagainst "The Ring General" GUNTHER at the respective event. Of course, fans will have to wait until the Royal Rumble itself to see if Nakamura's subsequent post was truly a spoiler oranother storyline swervekeeping them on their toes.
