Recently retired WWE superstar AJ Styles has opened up about the emotional family message that prompted his exit from the ring at the Royal Rumble. The 48-year-old ‘Phenomenal One’ competed in his final WWE match last Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, falling to Gunther in a high-stakes career-on-the-line showdown. Gunther’s victory bolsters his ‘Legend Killer’ persona, following retirements of John Cena and WCW legend Goldberg within the past year.
Styles previously announced 2026 as his final year in WWE, a choice WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque attributed to Styles’ desire to avoid delivering a subpar performance to fans.
The Emotional Text Message
Deeper personal reasons surfaced during Styles’ recent appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s ‘What’s The Story’ podcast. He recounted a poignant text from his wife, received two or three weeks prior: “My daughter said to my wife ‘Everybody thinks I’m lucky because I have AJ Styles as my dad, but they are the lucky ones because their dad gets to come home.'”
Styles reflected on the impact, noting newfound priorities: “So now I’m going to the Daddy and Daughter Dance with her. I’m gonna have a couple of dances with her, and then I’m gonna sit and talk to the other dads.”
Balancing Family and the Road Life
Despite WWE’s reduced live event schedule, Superstars still face extensive travel, including trips like the recent Saudi Arabia shows. Retirement ensures Styles spends more quality time with his wife and four children.
Door Not Fully Closed on Wrestling
Styles leaves open the possibility of future matches. With his WWE contract set to expire later this month, he dismissed immediate jumps to other promotions. Explaining why he kept one glove on during the Royal Rumble, he said: “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. What if my son wrestles? The opportunity to tag with him once, you never know.”
“I’m not saying that I’ll do it anytime soon. There’ll be a time when the gloves never go back on. It may be now, but we’ll see.”
