More than two weeks have passed since AJ Styles was defeated by Gunther at the Royal Rumble held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, resulting in Styles’ forced retirement due to a career-ending stipulation. Despite speculation about a possible comeback, WWE’s recent announcement on Raw appears to confirm his official retirement status.
During Monday’s Raw episode, WWE aired a tribute package that highlighted Styles’ match against Gunther at the Royal Rumble, along with key moments from his illustrious career, including footage from his time in TNA Wrestling. The segment concluded by announcing a special tribute to AJ Styles scheduled for the following week’s Raw in Atlanta, Georgia. While it remains uncertain whether Styles will attend, he resides nearby in Gainesville, Georgia, approximately an hour from Atlanta.
Current Situation Regarding Styles’ WWE Contract
Reports from Fightful Select in September indicated that AJ Styles’ WWE contract was set to expire around February. This timeline aligns with his recent career-ending match loss at the Royal Rumble, reinforcing the notion of his retirement. Nevertheless, Styles’ post-retirement appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast suggests that he remains under contract with WWE for the time being.
Further details from PWInsider.com reveal that WWE and Styles engaged in contract extension discussions but were unable to reach an agreement prior to his retirement match against Gunther. Even though both parties later apparently agreed on a new contract, ongoing talks about Styles’ role within the company continue. According to Fightful Select, there is a possibility that Styles could become a free agent next month.
Throughout this period, Styles has been linked to other wrestling organizations such as TNA Wrestling and AEW. However, he has also been firm about his decision to retire from in-ring competition. Notably, Shinsuke Nakamura leaked a private conversation from Japan last year confirming Styles’ resolve to step away from wrestling following the Royal Rumble.
Styles Leaves the Door Open for a Future Return
Following the Royal Rumble, AJ Styles appeared on the
“What’s Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon”
podcast, a WWE and Fanatics collaboration, where he addressed his retirement. Styles stated he is no longer actively wrestling but did not entirely rule out the possibility of returning for at least one additional match.
When asked by McMahon about the significance of his glove gesture at the Royal Rumble—removing it briefly before putting it back on—Styles responded,
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Never say never, right? That’s the saying. I think everybody’s allowed at least once to come out of retirement. I’m not saying that I’ll do it anytime soon. What if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once, you never know. So, there’ll be a time when the gloves never go back on. It may be now, but we’ll see,”
?AJ Styles, Professional Wrestler
Styles also shared that his second son, Avery Jones, is training with him, while his daughter, Anney Jones, shows interest in pursuing professional wrestling. This keeps open the possibility of family involvement in the sport in the future.
The tribute on Raw recognizing AJ Styles’ career underscores his significant impact on WWE and the wrestling world at large. Depending on contract negotiations and his own decisions, fans might still witness a rare in-ring appearance from The Phenomenal One down the road, especially if it involves teaming up with the next generation of his family.
AJ Styles’ contract with WWE expires around February 2026, according to those close to Styles.
(via @FightfulSelect) pic.twitter.com/oxv9U3RMuU
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) September 8, 2025
Honored to have as my next guest…The Phenomenal, @AJStylesOrg!
An all new #whatsyourstory drops tomorrow morning wherever you get your pods.
@WWE @Fanatics @EGxo pic.twitter.com/zsRuSDcVYJ
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) February 5, 2026
