
Finn Balor, Roman Reigns & More WWE Stars Send Heartfelt Farewell Messages To AJ Styles
Finn Balor, Roman Reigns and other WWE stars have sent heartfelt farewell messages to AJ Styles following his retirement.
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Finn Balor, Roman Reigns and other WWE stars have sent heartfelt farewell messages to AJ Styles following his retirement.

AJ Styles may have wrestled his final match at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble after losing to Gunther in a career-threatening match. On Stephanie McMahon's podcast, McMahon read aloud an emotional letter written by Styles' wife Wendy, in which she praised his career achievements and told him "You won, come home" after years of putting God and family first throughout his wrestling career.

Jim Ross believes Chris Jericho will end his wrestling career in WWE, stating on Grilling JR that he thinks Jericho wants closure rather than a big payday and that his final match will happen where he became a household name. Ross acknowledged that losing Jericho would be "a big loss for AEW" since he's "part of the foundation, the fabric of AEW," and expressed being impressed with how secretive the situation has remained.

Jim Ross criticized AJ Styles' WWE exit following his career-threatening loss to Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble, calling it "lackluster" and saying he was "underwhelmed" by the presentation. Ross suggested the Saudi Arabia location may have contributed to the subdued farewell, stating it "should have been a bigger dog and pony show" for such a respected performer. Ross also indicated that WWE likely wouldn't allow Styles to work for other promotions while maintaining his WWE relationship, but praised Styles as someone who "makes any card better" and has earned the right to control his own schedule.

Liv Morgan has praised an "incredible" WWE star and predicted that she will become a multi-time champion in the future. The current women's champion expressed her belief in this wrestler's potential for championship success.

AJ Styles lost a career-threatening match to Gunther at the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble but did not leave his gloves in the ring as a retirement symbol. In an appearance on Stephanie McMahon's podcast, Styles explained his decision by saying "never say never" and mentioned the possibility of returning to tag team with his son if he becomes a wrestler.

The Headbangers will wrestle their final match on July 23, 2026, according to Mosh in an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. Mosh, who is 54, explained that wrestling is no longer as fun as it used to be and cited concerns about potential injuries affecting his role as a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center. He also mentioned that the grind of travel and early morning flights has contributed to his diminishing enjoyment of wrestling after more than 30 years in the business.

AJ Styles has announced his retirement from in-ring competition, which will take place at Royal Rumble 2026. He has revealed what he will miss the most about WWE following his retirement.

Stephanie Vaquer appeared on the February 2, 2026 edition of WWE RAW as Women's World Champion with a new entrance theme, replacing her previous song "Bury Me." Chris Egert, the musician who composed "Bury Me" which served as Vaquer's first WWE theme, reacted on Twitter expressing gratitude for being part of her WWE journey and credited Vaquer for supporting his music behind the scenes. Egert stated that in his mind, "Bury Me" will always belong to Vaquer and thanked her for fighting for his music during her time using the theme.

Trick Williams captured the TNA World Championship from Joe Hendry last year. The WWE star said this title win led to resentment toward him in the TNA locker room.

AJ Styles opened up about his emotional backstage moments following his final WWE match at the 2026 Royal Rumble, revealing that the reality of retirement hit him hard once he reached the locker room where he was comforted by fellow wrestlers including Xavier Woods and Shane Helms. Fightful Select has confirmed that Styles' WWE career is officially over after his loss to GUNTHER, with sources stating that Styles dictated every detail of his retirement and had been planning this exit for years. Triple H confirmed that while WWE would have extended Styles' contract, the wrestler personally told him "he's done with the in-ring part," though WWE has left the door open for a potential backstage role.

AJ Styles addressed his in-ring future following his loss to GUNTHER at the 2026 Royal Rumble, telling Stephanie McMahon on "What's Your Story?" that while he may be done wrestling, "never say never." Styles suggested he might consider coming out of retirement for a potential tag team match with his son if the opportunity arose, though he's not planning anything "anytime soon." Fightful Select reported that Styles' WWE contract ended in February 2026 and his in-ring career with the company is officially done on his own terms, with Triple H confirming that Styles told him personally he's "done with the in-ring part."