Gunther defeated AJ Styles at WWE Royal Rumble on Saturday in a career-threatening match, meaning The Phenomenal One must now retire from in-ring competition at the age of 48.
Near the end of a brutal match, which featured Styles suffering a bloody gash on his forearm after being attacked through the announcers’ table, Gunther locked Styles into a devastating sleeper hold.
The two-time WWE champion kept fighting and reached tantalizingly close for the ropes, only for Gunther to attack again and pull him away.
The Ring General locked in the sleeper hold once more. The referee leaned in toward Styles and called out his name, but he was out cold. The ref called the match after Styles’ arm went limp after one lift.
Styles—who made his WWE debut at Royal Rumble in 2016—fought hard in this one, and he even hit Gunther with the Styles Clash and raised his hands in victory. Gunther kicked out at two, though.
After the match, the stunned crowd honored Styles, who was left alone in the ring. He took his gloves off and was preparing to leave them in the ring, but an adoring crowd implored him to put them back on. He did.
The groundwork for Saturday’s match was laid last month after Gunther made John Cena tap out in the final match of Cena’s illustrious career.
On the ensuing episode of Raw, Gunther cut a promo in which he taunted Cena, calling him a “little b—h” for tapping out in his retirement match. When The Ring General made his way to the parking lot, Styles was there to confront him and show his disapproval.
That led to a bout between Gunther and Styles on the Jan. 12 episode of Raw. The Phenomenal One took the fight to his opponent and seemed to have him right where he wanted him, but the Austrian Superstar had a trick up his sleeve.
Styles had Gunther locked in the Calf Crusher in the latter stages of the match, and he released the hold when he felt Gunther tap out.
However, Gunther tapped outside the referee’s field of vision, so the official did not rule Styles the winner. While Styles was arguing that his rival had submitted, The Ring General hit him with a low blow and then beat him with a powerbomb.
Furious over how the match played out, Styles challenged Gunther to a rematch at Royal Rumble, but Gunther refused, noting that he had nothing to prove after already beating Styles.
When AJ pressed the issue, Gunther changed his mind, but only under the condition that Styles put his career on the line.
Gunther gave Styles until the end of Raw to make his decision, and Styles informed Raw general manager Adam Pearce that he was willing to risk his career in order to get another shot at Gunther.
Given Styles said last year that 2026 would be his final year as an active wrestler, a loss seemed like a real possibility, but it still appeared to come as a shock to the fans in attendance, as they came to the realization that one of the all-time greats is hanging up his boots for good.
