WWE Star Opens Up About Retiring At The Hands Of GUNTHER

WWE

A WWE star has opened up about retiring at the hands of GUNTHER and how much involvement they had in that decision.

This year’s Royal Rumble marked the third time that GUNTHER would retire a WWE star, having brought an end to the careers of Goldberg and John Cena.

With AJ Styles ending his in-ring career with a loss to GUNTHER at the January Premium Live Event, the Hall of Famer has now shared an insight into the decision-making process behind the match.

Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Styles revealed that the decision to have GUNTHER has his final opponent was very much story-driven, saying:

“That wasn’t up to me, it was up to the story. He had retired Goldberg, he had retired John Cena. Why not retire AJ Styles?”

Van Vliet would comment that Cena’s career had ended in a similar way -with Styles passing out in the sleeper hold rather than tapping out like Cena – asking how much thought was put into the finish.

Styles responded:

“I think the whole thing with our match was that I made him tap out, but you weren’t gonna make me tap out, kind of deal, and I didn’t.

“I went out on my shield and almost had the ropes. But there was the moment there that AJ Styles couldn’t hold out any longer, his body had given up on him, his air supply was gone. Passes out.”

With wrestling retirements rarely meaning an end, Styles would also address the possibility of “one more match“.

GUNTHER As The WWE’s Final Boss

2025 was a marquee year for GUNTHER when it comes to retiring WWE stars.

July of last year saw Goldberg compete in his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, bringing an end to a career that started in 1997, losing to GUNTHER in Atlanta, Georgia, the home of the WWE Hall of Famer.

December would see victory for GUNTHER again, putting away John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and bringing an end to a twenty-six-year career.

For the first time, January of this year would see GUNTHER retire a star on a main WWE PLE, with the victory over AJ Styles at the aforementioned Royal Rumble.

Next up for GUNTHER, although it is not a retirement match, will be SummerSlam on August 1 & 2, where the Ring General faces Nick Aldis. For the SmackDown general manager, it marks the first time he will have competed in a WWE ring and his first match since October 2023, competing at ACE Bluegrass Con.

GUNTHER’s last PLE appearance saw Sami Zayn become Undisputed WWE Champion, claiming the title from Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat. That loss may have robbed GUNTHER of a championship, but there’s clearly more to be made from the star taking on veteran names to make a point, whether it be to retire them or prove his dominance over an authority figure with a storied career of their own.

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• wwe
• AJ Styles
• retirement
• GUNTHER

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