The clock may be ticking louder than expected on AJ Styles’ legendary WWE run, and a since-deleted social media post from Shinsuke Nakamura has fans wondering if the end is coming sooner rather than later.
According to Sports Illustrated, Styles is set to face Gunther at the Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 31, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with his career on the line.
Under the stipulation, a loss would force Styles into retirement, adding him to the growing list of stars undone by Gunther’s reputation as WWE’s so-called “Career Killer.”
Following their match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Montreal—where Styles picked up a win with the Styles Clash—Nakamura shared a reflective message on Instagram that was later removed.
In it, he recalled a moment from WWE’s 2025 Australia tour, describing a post-match speech Styles gave to fans in Melbourne.
“Listening to it, it was clear he was thanking the fans,” Nakamura wrote. “But somehow, it also felt like he was hinting that retirement might not be that far away.”
According to Nakamura, the topic came up again when the tour moved to Japan. He claimed he directly asked Styles about his plans. “I asked him, ‘When are you going to retire?’ He answered, ‘The Royal Rumble. I’ve already decided,’” Nakamura wrote, adding that he immediately hoped to face Styles one more time before that day arrived.
The timing of those comments caught fans off guard, especially since Styles has publicly framed 2026 as his final year in wrestling rather than pointing to a single definitive match.
In recent interviews, Styles has been clear that he wants to leave on his own terms, before age and injuries slow him down. “I will definitely retire within the next year,” he said previously. “I don’t want the fans to see me as anyone other than AJ Styles.”
