3 Signs AJ Styles is leaving WWE after the 2026 Royal Rumble

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#3. The ultimate stipulation

The most glaring sign is the high-stakes match booked for Royal Rumble. After a controversial loss to Gunther on RAW earlier this month, where The Ring General seemingly tapped out unseen by the referee, Styles demanded a rematch. Gunther, now known as WWE’s “Career Killer” after retiring Goldberg and John Cena, upped the ante by asking Styles to put his career on the line.

Styles later accepted the challenge after speaking to his wife. WWE rarely puts a legend’s career on the line unless they are ready to transition into the next phase of their life. Facing a man who specializes in ending eras makes the threat to Styles’ career feel more real than ever.

#2. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura felt like the final goodbye

At Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIII, AJ Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in a technical masterpiece. However, it wasn’t the moves that caught fans’ attention; it was the atmosphere.

Styles entered the arena wearing a mask reminiscent of his NJPW days, a direct nod to his history with Nakamura. The two icons embraced each other in the ring, which felt less like a mid-season feud wrap-up and more like the final curtain call.

Nakamura later posted (and deleted) a heartfelt diary entry on Instagram, revealing that Styles told him months ago in Japan that his retirement would be at Royal Rumble.

#1. Closing the New Japan Circle

Wrestling is a business built on poetry, and there is no better way to close the book than by returning to your roots. By facing Shinsuke Nakamura, it seems like AJ Styles is mirroring the exact path that brought him to WWE.

Ten years ago, Styles and Nakamura left New Japan Pro-Wrestling together after a legendary clash at Wrestle Kingdom 10. They debuted in WWE around the same time, revitalizing the main event scene. For AJ to handpick Nakamura as his potential penultimate opponent suggests he is cleaning his plate.