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AJ Styles Retires at WWE Royal Rumble After Injury Setback
Longtime WWE star AJ Styles had planned to retire at WrestleMania, but changed plans after a prior injury and desire for poetic closure.
Published on Feb. 21, 2026
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AJ Styles, a cornerstone of WWE for over a decade, announced his retirement from professional wrestling at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. Styles had initially planned to retire at WrestleMania, the biggest event of the year, but changed his plans after recovering from a serious foot injury in 2024 that sidelined him for four months. Instead, Styles decided to retire at the Royal Rumble, the event where he made his surprise WWE debut in 2016, feeling it was a more meaningful and poetic way to end his illustrious career.
Why it matters
Styles' retirement marks the end of an era for one of WWE's most popular and successful superstars of the modern era. His decision to retire at the Royal Rumble rather than WrestleMania reflects a pragmatic approach to his exit, prioritizing a meaningful farewell over a grander stage. Styles' impact on WWE extends far beyond championships, as he was beloved by fans for his technical prowess, charisma, and ability to deliver captivating matches against a wide range of opponents.
The details
Styles recently shared in a WWE-released vlog that his initial vision for retirement centered around the grandeur of WrestleMania, as 'everybody wants to retire at WrestleMania.' However, a Lisfranc injury he sustained in October 2024 during a SmackDown match against Carmelo Hayes sidelined him for four months. While his return was successful enough to compete at WrestleMania 41, the recovery process altered his perspective, as he felt it 'didn't feel right to come back for two months just to retire.' Instead, Styles found resonance in returning to the Royal Rumble, the event that launched his WWE career, envisioning a final moment of self-assuredness where he could 'stand up on my own two feet and I throw up the P1 that is on my gloves one more time, and I walk.'
- Styles suffered a Lisfranc injury in October 2024 that sidelined him for four months.
- Styles returned to compete at WrestleMania 41 in 2025.
- Styles retired at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia.
The players
AJ Styles
A cornerstone of WWE for over a decade, known for his technical prowess, charisma, and ability to deliver captivating matches against a wide range of opponents.
Gunther
Styles' final opponent, who had recently retired two other wrestling legends, Goldberg and John Cena, adding another layer of significance to the match.
Carmelo Hayes
The wrestler who Styles was facing when he suffered the Lisfranc injury in October 2024 that sidelined him for four months.
What they’re saying
“Everybody wants to retire at WrestleMania, the biggest show of the year that we do. I was going to do exactly that, but I just came back from an injury that was supposed to retire me. It retires most.”
— AJ Styles (WWE-released vlog)
“Once I got healed up and was comfortable enough running and doing what I need to do to be AJ Styles, it just didn't feel right to come back for two months just to retire.”
— AJ Styles (WWE-released vlog)
“Hopefully, at the end of this match, I stand up on my own two feet and I throw up the P1 that is on my gloves one more time, and I walk.”
— AJ Styles (WWE-released vlog)
What’s next
WWE is set to formally celebrate Styles' illustrious career on the February 23rd edition of Monday Night RAW, emanating live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The details of the tribute remain undisclosed, but it's expected to be a fitting acknowledgment of a performer who consistently delivered captivating matches and elevated the status of the WWE.
The takeaway
Styles' decision to retire at the Royal Rumble rather than WrestleMania underscores his pragmatic approach to the end of his career, prioritizing a meaningful exit that aligned with his physical and emotional state. While WrestleMania represents the pinnacle of professional wrestling, the Royal Rumble offered Styles a unique opportunity for a full-circle moment, a poetic conclusion to a career defined by surprise, skill, and unwavering dedication.
