WWE Royal Rumble 2026: 5 Shocks WWE Could Pull
4. AJ Styles Does Actually Retire
ARGH!
Listen, it'd be some shocker if Gunther tapped AJ Styles out like he did John Cena back during that icon's retirement bash at Saturday Night's Main Event on 13 December. Gunther has started stacking up skulls like he's a collector (wonder how much that Cena shiny goes for on the Pokémon market?), so there's always a chance that AJ will be next.
Losing at the Rumble and ending his WWE career on such a sour note would feel sudden for Styles. He only announced plans to call it quits in 2026 at the tail end of last year, so nobody's actually prepared to say goodbye this early into the new year. Arguably, that's the true beauty of WWE booking a match like this one in the first place.
Everyone from CM Punk to Je'Von Evans wants another match with AJ. Punk got his on this past Monday's episode of Raw, but young Je'Von and his bouncy boy antics may have to keep on wishing - Styles could be gone from the roster by the time creative even thinks about booking them in a major PLE match.
Surely they're gonna book some kind of out here - either to get to a rematch between AJ and Gunther or to preserve a career. Forcing Styles to miss the lucrative WrestleMania period when this is likely to be his last 'Mania ever would be cruel, man. Therein lies the shock: AJ skipping Las Vegas after submitting to Gunther and watching it with the punters would be a jaw-dropping moment.