Heading into the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble, multiple things are pointing to AJ Styles possibly losing to GUNTHER, then retiring from in-ring competition. The latest backing that outcome is a filing from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
For weeks, the WWE Universe and WWE commentators have referred to GUNTHER as "The Career Killer," given that he successfully put the careers of John Cena and WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg to rest in 2025. On Monday, filed to trademark "Career Killer" with the USPTO, potentially lending further credence to the scenario of GUNTHER defeating Styles at the Royal Rumble, where "The Phenomenal One" will put his career on the line.
This trademark application specifically aims to cover entertainment services related to professional wrestling, such as digital and broadcast media. As of this writing, the application is awaiting assignment to an examining attorney.
Since GUNTHER bested Cena in his retirement match at the December 13 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Styles has demanded that "The Career Killer" show some respect to the legends that came before him in WWE, like Cena. Instead, GUNTHER has repeatedly shrugged off Styles' words and controversially beat him in a singles match on "WWE Raw."
According to fellow WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura, Styles previously disclosed to him that the 2026 Royal Rumblewill indeed mark his retirement match. The social media post containing this information has since been deleted, suggesting that Nakamura may have accidently spoiled the result of GUNTHER vs. Styles. As always, though, WWE events are subject to change.
