Shinsuke Nakamura may have hinted at the finish of AJ Styles’ match with Gunther at this Saturday’s Royal Rumble.
Hours after facing Styles at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Nakamura shared an Instagram Story titled “The diary I wrote the day before,” which has since been deleted. In it, he recalled a speech Styles gave during WWE’s Australia tour in October that suggested he was nearing the end.
As the tour moved on to Japan, Nakamura said he asked Styles directly, on the way to a meet-and-greet, when he planned to retire.
“The Royal Rumble. I’ve already decided,” Styles replied, according to Nakamura.
The retirement of AJ Styles has been a topic of conversation for nearly two years. Before WrestleMania XL in 2024, Styles told The Ringer that the end was near. Said the former WWE Champion:
“I’m done. I’m going to retire. I’m getting to that point where I am worried about embarrassing myself. My brain says, ‘We can do this.’ My body is like, ‘You’re stupid. We cannot do this. We’re hurting every day when we roll out of bed.’ At some point, this has to come to an end.”
In his post, Nakamura said he asked to wrestle Styles one more time before he retired. He cited their matches against each other in New Japan and, later, in WWE.
“When it comes to professional wrestling, his balance of expression and technique is the best in the world. Truly one of a kind,” Nakamura wrote.
The two delivered a hard-hitting, Japanese-style classic at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Styles ultimately won with a Phenomenal Forearm and Styles Clash, building momentum heading into his Royal Rumble showdown with Gunther.
Styles’ program with Gunther began shortly after “The Ring General” forced John Cena to tap out in Cena’s final match in December. Fed up with Gunther’s constant disrespect of Cena, Styles demanded a match against Gunther.
On the Jan. 12 edition of Raw, Styles turned the tables and forced Gunther to tap out. However, the referee didn’t see the tap. After Styles released the hold, Gunther struck with a low blow that led to his victory.
Last Monday on Raw, Styles called for a rematch, which Gunther accepted under one condition: Styles must put his career on the line. After taking time to think it through, Styles accepted.
Plans can change in pro wrestling, and Styles may have since changed his mind. If Nakamura’s account is accurate, Saturday’s match in Riyadh could be Styles’ last.
