AJ Styles clarifies the enigmatic gesture he made after his farewell match at the Royal Rumble. The “Phenomenal One” has not yet completely ended his career.
After 27 years in the wrestling ring, former WWE champion AJ Styles’ career appears to be over – but a mysterious gesture after his last match against Gunther at the Royal Rumble over the weekend has fueled speculation that he may be planning a comeback after all.
After his defeat against the “Ring General” from Austria, the “Phenomenal One” took off his gloves and indicated that he would leave them in the ring – a gesture commonly used by martial artists to signal the end of their career. However, Styles put his gloves back on to the cheers of the fans – immediately fueling rumors that the 48-year-old is planning an encore, possibly with another league. In former WWE boss Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, Styles has now taken a stand on the question of what was behind the action.
WWE: AJ Styles does not rule out comeback
“I don’t know. I really don’t know,” Styles replied when asked the question – and did not actually rule out a comeback at a later date: “Never say never, right? Every wrestler gets at least one opportunity to come out of retirement. I’m not saying I’ll do that anytime soon. But what if my son wrestles? The chance to compete in a single tag team match with him? You never know. The day will come when I hang up my gloves for good – maybe that day is already here. We’ll see.” Styles is the father of four children – and he revealed that he has already taught his second-eldest son Avery (who will soon turn 19) the basics of his sport. According to his dad, his 11-year-old daughter Anney is also interested in pursuing a career in the ring.
Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen – but fans of the skilled technician can justifiably hope to see him in action again, whether in the near or distant future.
