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Booker T Predicts AJ Styles Will Wrestle Again After Royal Rumble Loss

February 7, 2026 | Posted by Andrew Ravens
AJ Styles Image Credit: WWE, Netflix

On the latest episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T talked about AJ Styles’ WWE retirement match at the Royal Rumble when he lost to Gunther.

Styles passed out while Gunther had him in a rear-naked choke. There is unconfirmed speculation that Styles may wrestle again in WWE.  You can check out some highlights below:

On Styles’ Farewell:

“I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t, I thought they would throw a swerve at me. I guess with being in Saudi, I guess they perhaps felt we needed definitive outcomes for each match. That’s the only thing I can see as far as they go. I guess, they went there so they had to go ahead and go there.

“The one thing that kind of like leave the door open, is AJ didn’t leave his gloves in the ring. And if you’re retired, if you know it’s over, you’re gonna leave those gloves in the ring. So therefore, I think the door was left open, slightly anyway, for AJ to still be able to do something, even if it’s not in the WWE. I could be wrong.”

On His TNA Tenure:

“Oh I just know he did a lot for TNA. And you know what? I think if I had a chance to pay homage to WCW, if I had a chance to before it was all over with? I think I probably would have wanted to do that. And go back and wrap it up perhaps in a WCW ring. Just because, that’s what made me. That’s what really put me on the map. And that’s where I was really, really given a chance to go out there and, you know, do my thing. So I think that’s the only reason.”

On His Belief Styles Will Wrestle Again:

“And on top of that, I do think we’re going to see AJ Styles back inside the squared circle again. You could quote me on that when it happens, it’s going to happen 100%”.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the Hall of Fame with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.

article topics :

AJ Styles, Booker T, Andrew Ravens