AJ Styles retirement wasnt always supposed to happen at the Royal Rumble, as the Phenomenal One just revealed he was originally going to retire at WrestleMania. While speaking on a WWE vlog on February 20, 2026, Styles revealed that the original plan for his final match was WrestleMania not the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. According to Styles, that changed after he returned from a serious injury one he says ends most careers: But I had just come back from an injury that was supposed to retire me it retires most people. Once he felt physically ready to perform at his usual level again, the idea of coming back for only a short run just to retire at WrestleMania didnt sit right with him. Instead, Styles decided that if he was going to step away, it should be at the same event where his WWE journey began: I thought, what better way to leave than on the pay-per-view where you debuted? Styles debuted in WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble and ten years later, his WWE career came to an end at the hands of GUNTHER at the 2026 Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. Of course, speculation continues. Styles was recently spotted at the WWE Performance Center on February 18, and SmackDown talent is being flown in for his advertised February 23 appearance on RAW in Atlanta. That episode is being promoted as a celebration of his career, and Bryan Alvarez has reported that something significant could be planned. Still, Styles latest comments make one thing very clear: WrestleMania was originally the destination for his retirement until he chose to close the loop at the Royal Rumble instead. Do you think AJ Styles made the right call retiring at Royal Rumble instead of WrestleMania? Or should his final match have happened on WWEs biggest stage? Let us know below. Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication. G Add as a preferred source on Google
