Nakamura Hints at AJ Styles’ Potential Retirement at Royal Rumble
Shinsuke Nakamura recently hinted at AJ Styles’ potential retirement during the upcoming Royal Rumble event. Nakamura’s remarks follow an intense confrontation at Saturday Night’s Main Event where they faced each other in the ring.
Nakamura’s Instagram Hint at AJ Styles’ Retirement
After their match, Nakamura shared an Instagram Story titled “The diary I wrote the day before,” which has since been removed. In this post, he referenced a speech Styles delivered during WWE’s Australia tour in October, indicating that Styles might be nearing retirement.
Nakamura disclosed that during their time in Japan, he asked Styles about his retirement plans. Styles responded, stating he had already decided on the Royal Rumble as his final match.
The Ongoing Retirement Discussions
The topic of AJ Styles’ retirement has gained traction over the last two years. In a recent interview with The Ringer, he expressed concerns about continuing in the ring. Styles admitted, “I’m done. I’m going to retire. My brain says, ‘We can do this,’ but my body disagrees.”
Nakamura’s Tribute to Styles
Nakamura honored Styles in his post, stating he wished to compete with him one more time before his retirement. He praised Styles for his remarkable in-ring skills and highlighted their past matches in both New Japan and WWE.
The Build-Up to Royal Rumble
During Saturday Night’s Main Event, Styles secured a victory over Nakamura using his signature moves: the Phenomenal Forearm and Styles Clash. This match set the stage for Styles’ upcoming Royal Rumble clash against Gunther.
Günther’s rivalry with Styles intensified after his victory over John Cena in December, where Cena experienced a submission loss in what turned out to be his final match. Frustrated by Gunther’s tactics, Styles called for a showdown.
The High Stakes Rematch
- On the January 12 episode of Raw, Styles forced Gunther into a tap-out, only for the referee to miss the action.
- A low blow from Gunther allowed him to win the match.
- Styles demanded a rematch; Gunther agreed, stipulating that Styles must put his career on the line.
After careful consideration, Styles accepted this high-stakes challenge. If Nakamura’s account holds true, the Royal Rumble in Riyadh could mark the end of AJ Styles’ illustrious career in professional wrestling.
