AJ Styles has been around for so long that he once wrestled on WCW Monday Nitro, a program that last aired 25 years ago this March. But after a, um, phenomenal run that’s spanned a quarter century, he’s putting his in-ring WWE career on the line against Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble. While Styles tries to extend his career a little longer, The Ring General seeks to add another scalp to his Legend Killer gimmick; Gunther recently retired Bill Goldberg and John Cena.
Though it’s unclear whether Styles is retiring from professional wrestling or merely from the promotion he’s called home for the last decade, one thing is certain: This will be his final match in WWE if he falls to Gunther in Saudi Arabia.
Ahead of what may be the last time Styles laces up his boots in a WWE ring, he’s due for a celebration. From his early days flying around the Impact Zone, to running wild with the Bullet Club in Japan to becoming the face that runs the place in WWE, these are the Ten Best Matches of AJ Styles Career.
10.AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns, Extreme Rules (WWE)
Date: May 22, 2016
Location: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
It took just four months for AJ Styles to enter the WWE main event scene following his debut at the Royal Rumble in January 2016. Styles was the hottest free agent in wrestling when he signed and he carried that momentum from this two-year stint in Japan and the independent scene over to WWE. Shortly after debuting, Styles linked with his former Bullet Club stablemates Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to form The Club, and the trio quickly started a rivalry with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and the Usos.
At Extreme Rules. Styles was the perfect opponent to help position Reigns as a ruthless, fighting champion. They wrestled all over the arena, trading shots with weapons, before Reigns eventually tossed Styles through the announce table.
Shenanigans, of course, followed. Gallows and Anderson hit the ring to help Styles, the Usos made the save, and each challenger fought off the opposing faction. Creative false finishes ensued, including Reigns kicking out of the Styles Clash as well as a Styles Clash on a chair. The champion finally slammed the door shut on Styles, hitting a spear just as Styles was attempting to connect with a Phenomenal Forearm, resulting in a pin.
9.AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan, Smackdown! (WWE)
Date: June 12, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida
A hidden gem during the COVID era, the two in-ring technicians put together a 30+ minute wrestling clinic at the conclusion of the Intercontinental Championship tournament.
The lack of audience involvement doesn’t change how exceptional this one was. Every punch or kick was given room to breathe, the pacing was outstanding, and the duo showed chemistry that made fans crave more matches between the two future Hall of Famers. In the end, Styles caught Bryan with a Phenomenal Forearm to capture his first Intercontinental Championship, punctuating one of the best television matches of his WWE tenure.
8.AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, G1 Climax 25 (NJPW)
Date: August 14, 2015,
Location: Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan
After two years of escalating tension, AJ Styles and Hiroshi Tanahashi put a bow on their New Japan rivalry with it all on the line. Tied in the A Block of the G1, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual round-robin tournament where the winner earns a IWGP Heavyweight Championship match, both Styles and Tanahashi entered the match needing a win to advance to the finals.
The bout featured a little bit of everything—chain wrestling, egregious low blows, and high stakes drama. The finish was classic NJPW Styles. They transitioned from big move after big move, patched in some false finishes, and sent fans home happy with Tanahashi earning his way into the G1 Finals with back-to-back High Fly Flows on Styles for the 1-2-3.
7.AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Turning Point (TNA)
Date: December 11, 2005,
Location: TNA Impact! Zone at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida
Samoa Joe and AJ Styles showdown at Turning Point had the tough task of living up to the greatest match in TNA history. (Spoiler alert!) Between the trio of Styles, Joe, and Christopher Daniels, the X Division was flying in 2005. The feud served as a coming out party for Styles. Everyone knew he was good. But by the end of the year, everyone knew he was great.
Joe was built as a ruthless monster and he validated his reputation pummeling Styles with stiff kicks, chops, and blows that had the crowd wincing in unison.
Styles, of course, made his archrival look like a million bucks, bumping all over the six-sided ring for him. Styles wrestled like the desperate man he had to become to topple Joe, utilizing every weapon in his arsenal, even a Fosbury Flop moonsault over the top rope onto Joe. In the end though, it wasn’t enough. Styles passed out at the hands of the Coquina Clutch. The champ might’ve lost but he never submitted.
6.AJ Styles vs. Kazuchika Okada, Dominion (NJPW)
Date: July 5, 2015,
Location: Osaka-jō Hall in Osaka, Japa
AJ Styles’ two-year stretch in New Japan Pro Wrestling featured him blitzing through the roster, accomplishing as much as possible, before the inevitable move to WWE.
The quintessential Styles-Kazuchika Okada match of this run spelled their final chapter and furthered the story that Styles couldn’t win without the help of Bullet Club. The start of the match leaned a little too heavy into that narrative, leading to the Biz Cliz being sent to the back but it was important to the long-term story. Okada and Styles then became the emphasis.
As the match sprinted to its conclusion, Okada and Styles held nothing back, landing strikes that reverberated through the television. The finish featured an unreal stretch of reversals until Okada landed one final Rainmaker for the win.
5.AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes, Backlash France (WWE)
Date: May 4, 2024
Location: LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines, France
Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles had something to prove at Backlash, with the former’s first title defense after winning the Undisputed WWE Title at WrestleMania and the latter seeking one more world championship run.
The early theme followed both competitors vying for respect. The rivals were technically precise, traded momentum at a frenetic pace, then slowed things down to let the audience feel every big move. The two former leaders of Bullet Club traded huge shots; Styles suplexed Rhodes on the apron, before Rhodes powerbombed Styles through the announce table. But this was a refreshing match: a super hot crowd, no outside interference, not too many false finishes, and it all built to a clean finish with the champion winning following a Super Cody Cutter and a Cross Rhodes
4.AJ Styles vs. John Cena, Royal Rumble (WWE)
Date: January 29, 2017
Location: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
A year after debuting at the 2016 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles entered the same event a year later as WWE Champion. Five months removed from their classic at SummerSlam, John Cena and Styles picked up right where they left off.
Similar to their prior showdown, it felt like every move mattered. Styles was gritty, doing everything he could to keep the belt around his waist. Cena, meanwhile, was pure power, yet again showing unbelievable strength to lift Styles from prone positions into the air. The transitions were spectacular, flexing between power and technical precision. Cena would end up picking up the pin after reversing a Phenomenal Forearm into an Attitude Adjustment, then rolling through into a second Attitude Adjustment for his 16th World Title, tying Ric Flair for the most in professional wrestling history.
3.AJ Styles vs. John Cena, SummerSlam (WWE)
Date: August 21, 2016
Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
One of the best SummerSlam matches of all time and AJ Styles’ best WWE match, his battle with John Cena was the second in a series of three matches between two of the greatest to ever lace up their boots. Styles was determined to prove he could beat Cena without the help of “The Club,” after Gallows and Anderson assisted him to score the pin months earlier at Money in the Bank.
Styles and Cena refused to rush into the match, taking turns in control in what was an even contest essentially from the opening bell. It was a pure chess match, with Styles staying true to his word and not relying on outside interference.
Cena’s Avalanche Attitude Adjustment felt like he’d unlocked Super Cena on his way to another win, but Styles kicked out leading to loud gasps from the smart Brooklyn crowd. Styles would then reverse an Attitude Adjustment into a Styles Clash, and then finished it off with a Phenomenal Forearm. The match was a defining moment in Styles’ WWE tenure, turning him into a made man. AJ Styles had officially arrived.
2.AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Wrestle Kingdom 10 (NJPW)
Date: January 4, 2016
Location: Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan
Two years before their underwhelming match at WrestleMania 34 (and ten years before their surprisingly great last dance on Saturday Night’s Main Event), AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura faced off at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s equivalent, Wrestle Kingdom 10, in what was rightfully billed as a dream match.
This one didn’t feature any long term storytelling, rather two icons at the top of their game putting on an exceptional match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship before both jumped to WWE.
The match was hard hitting and tactical, ring psychology at its finest—both targeted limbs and sold injuries picked up during the match. Even the English-language announce team (Kevin Kelly, Matt Striker, and Yoshitatsu) contributed, selling the Styles Clash as a devastating (and potentially career ending) finisher. But Nakamura would hit two successive Bomayes (called a Kinshasa in WWE) and prevail in a match that lived up to the hype.
1.AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels, Unbreakable (TNA)
Date: September 11, 2005
Location: TNA Impact! Zone at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida
Triple-threat matches have a certain formula to them; they’re a series of mini one-on-one matches that take place while the third wheel sells either in a corner or outside of the ring until the inevitable comeback. Rinse, repeat. This one though, changed the game with its constant action. The pace gave space for Joe to exert his dominance, Daniels to show his veteran precision, and for Styles to steal the show. They all felt like stars.
This is the match that solidified TNA as not only the number two to WWE but as a valid market place alternative: a workrate-driven character-altering match in a six-sided ring of all places. It’s the best match in TNA history and the best match in the career of “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles.